A Twist of Fate
by InTheClouds773
Summary: Post New Moon, with a new ending to New Moon. I don't want to give out too much, but it involves Bella's choices in life, and where they take her and her family. Warning! Rating has changed! NO IDEA WHY EVERYTHING IS UNDERLINED, SORRY!
1. Prologue

*** This story takes place at the end of _New Moon_. I'm changing the ending completely to set the base for my own story. If you don't like this idea then do not read my story. It won't hurt my feelings. If you can get over the fact that I'm changing the ending of _New Moon_ then, please, read my story and send me tons of comments! I appreciate all comments. If you spot something I may have missed or may not have all the facts about, please let me know so I can change it!

*** Oh! And by the way, I do not in any way, shape, or form own Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, or Jacob. That's all I'm saying for now because I don't know if I'm going to have any other _Twilight_ characters other than these.

Prologue

We were on the plane from Italy, and I was too tired to function myself, so I allowed myself to sleep. I woke just as we were flying over the dismal state of Washington. Edward was in the seat next to me, watching out the window. I stared at him for a moment, not wanting him to know I was awake just yet.

I had risked my life for Edward because I had loved him so very much. There was a heavy 'but' weighing on my mind. I knew what I had to do, and it hurt for me to do it. I stretched and yawned, how I always pretended to wake up. Edward turned to me and smiled, and my heart sank deep into my chest.

I did love him, I had no doubt about that, but I couldn't live with the fear that he might up and leave me because he 'felt it was in my best interest.' It had nearly killed us both. I decided to take a stand for myself. I had to protect my heart; it was still being held together with Band Aids, and I didn't think it would last another break.

When the plane landed, Edward and I rode back to the Cullens' house with Alice and Jasper. I took a deep breath and told Edward I needed to talk to him, that it was something important and could not wait.

We got into his silver Volvo and drove towards my house. I made sure he drove the speed limit because I had a lot to say.

"I'm moving to Florida with my mother," I said. I didn't feel there was any need to beat around the bush about it.

"What? Why?" He stared at me as he drove, which made me nervous; it made me nervous every time he drove. "After everything we just went through, you're leaving?"

"Yes. I don't want you to base your existence on me. I want to be able to live my life without fear that you're going to do something stupid again or that you're going to leave again just to keep me safe."

"I'm not going to leave you. And I'm not going to do anything stupid like that again."

"You can't promise me that. And this time was one time too many. It hurt too much when you left. I had barely began to live again when you decided to kill yourself! I'm going to tell Charlie tonight. I plan on flying out as soon as school's over. Please let me live the rest of the school year without you. I've made it this far, I can survive the rest of the way."

He pulled into the driveway next to Charlie's cruiser. "You don't want to do this, Bella. I know you don't." He was on the verge of crying; I could see the pain in his eyes.

"No, I don't. But it's something that I _have_ to do. For myself as well as for you." My voice choked a bit on that last sentence. I got out of the car, but turned back to him one last time. "Goodbye, Edward. For good."

I shut the passenger door and went inside. I ran straight upstairs to bolt my window shut. I knew Edward could still get in if he wanted to, but I had a feeling that he would take the hint and go home.

I looked out the window at the top of the stairs one last time, and watched as he finally drove away.

My heart broke just a little bit, and I had to fight back the tears, but I knew in the end that this was for the best.

In the morning, I would tell Charlie that I was going to Florida with Mom and Phil. And I would do my best to steer clear of Edward. I did manage to stay away from Edward, but Alice was a different story.

On the last day of school, she came up to me and hugged me, squeezing the ait of my lungs.

"I'm going to miss you, Bella. We could have been wonderful friends. I'm sure we'll meet again someday. At least, if you stay on the path you're on now, we will. I hope you do. I'd like to catch up with you eventually."

"Thanks Alice. I'm sorry about this. You were a good friend though." She hugged me again and was off, in a way only Alice could.

I bit my bottom lip, and left the school for the last time.

Two weeks later, I was in Florida with everything unpacked. I wondered where my life would take me, and if I would end up happy in the end. I hated not knowing anymore where my life would lead, but I had made my bed; all that was left to do was to lie in it.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I got the worst news of my life two weeks ago. My father had been offered a new job. He was to be one of the big-wig guys at for the new addition to his company. But it meant leaving the home I had grown up in.

I had lived in Jacksonville the entire sixteen years I'd been on this planet. And I had no want or incentive to move all the way to Maine. They couldn't have at least gone all the way to Canada or somewhere in Europe? Maine is practically another country anyways!

I'd miss the sun; I'd miss being able to go outside every single day. And I would miss all of my friends. My grandmother was here, too, and I would miss her most of all.

But my father took the job offer. So here I am, standing in front of an enormous brick house. There was more than enough room in the house for my parents, my brother and sister, and myself. It looked like the kind of house you'd see in a horror movie. I almost expected to see the killer jump out and attack me at any moment.

He didn't, but I almost wish he had, because it would have made a great headline for this rinky-dink town. We didn't even live in a big town. Apparently Portland was too busy of a town with too many schools. My mom wanted us to be able to go to a small school, where we'd have a better chance of making friends and fitting in. Carter and Leah, the twins, were already in their senior year, so they were even more angry than I was when Mom and Dad said we were moving.

I was a junior, so I didn't mind quite as much about changing schools; I still had time to make friends before school was over. I had just turned sixteen a few weeks before we moved, so at least I got to have my Sweet Sixteen party with my friends. It would have sucked to have had nobody but my immediate family to share it with.

My new room was larger than my last, and I took full advantage by adding an actual computer desk and chair to my furniture collection. I chose to paint my walls black, much to my parents dismay. I put up a handful of posters of my favorite bands and actors, though, that you couldn't see much of the paint anyways. And my bedspread was bright red. My furniture was white, so the colors played off the walls nicely.

I was unpacking my last box, a box of books, when my sister knocked on my door.

"Mom and Dad want us all downstairs. Family meeting sort of thing, I guess."

"Okay. I'll be right down." I dumped the contents of the box on my bed and carried the box downstairs.

"Come on, Grace. We can't start without you!" my mother called from the living room. I trudge in and flopped on the couch next to Leah.

"You three are starting school Monday. I know you two-" she pointed at Carter and Danielle- "are upset about this, but I don't want to hear about. Your father and I are going to take the three of you shopping for clothes and whatever else you need."

"Like a car?" Carter asked, heavy sarcasm in his tone. Mom rolled her eyes and ignored his comment.

"Carter you'll go with your father on Saturday. Gracie, Leah-you'll go with me on Sunday."

"Mom, don't call me Gracie. It makes me feel like I'm five again," I said. I truly did hate being called Gracie. It sounded like a dog's name.

"You'll always be five to me, Grace." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Are we done here?" I asked.

She sighed. "I guess. Go ahead and go." I jumped off the couch and ran right back up to my room to put my books away.

Sunday was fun enough. Mom bought each of us enough clothes to last us through the end of school without washing anything but our socks and underwear.

I dreaded waking up on Monday, but I knew I had to. I chose a pair of dark-wash jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, and my black and pink Converse shoes. I threw a notebook and some pens in my canvas bag-that conveniently matched my shoes-and headed downstairs.

Breakfast was quiet. We were heading out the door before anyone said anything.

"Did you give Carter the keys, Rob?" Mom asked.

"Keys for what?" Carter asked.

"Here." Dad pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and tossed them at my brother. "You're grandfather drove your mom's old truck out from Washington. It's for the three of you to share, well as soon you can drive, Grace."

"Mom's old truck? How old can thing be?" Leah asked.

"It was a few years old in the late fifties," Mom answered.

"And it still runs?" Carter asked.

"Like a trooper. That thing will hold up in any kind of accident." She poured herself a cup of coffee. Taking a sip, she added, "Be careful not to take it over sixty though."

"So where's grandpa if he drove it over here?" I asked.

"He got in very late, so he just decided to stay at a hotel. He's going to stop by when you guys get home from school."

Walking outside, we were all in aw of the old beat-up red monster sitting in the driveway. It was indeed half a century old, if not older than that. Leah and I walked around to the passenger side of the of the truck, and we both slid in, Carter taking the driver's seat.

The school was much smaller than the one we had gone to in Florida. There were maybe 500 students in the entire school; there were at least 350 in the junior class alone back home. I stared at the brown brick building and let out a deep sigh. We started for the building just as the first bell was ringing.

Inside, students were running for their classes. The three of us wove in and out of the mob of students on our way to the main office.

Our schedules were already printed out and waiting for us at the front desk. The maps they gave us had lines drawn in for the fastest routes to each class. Geometry with Mr. Peebody was first on my schedule. I had taken this class in Florida, but for some reason the credit didn't transfer. Neither did the credits for my P.E. class or my creative writing class.

I walked into Mr. Peebody's classroom just as the last bell rang. I introduced myself to him, and he gave me a book from a large metal cabinet. I turned towards the other students, and sighed. There was only one seat left, at a table by itself. Mr. Peebody put a page number and a few problem numbers on the board for us to do while he handed the class back their papers from the previous day.

"You're new, aren't you?" I heard a voice ask. Turning, I was welcomed by a friendly smile; I noticed her frizzy red hair before anything else.

I nodded. "From Florida. I'm Grace."

She leaned a bit closer and whispered. "I'm Izzy, short for Isadora, but I hate the name. Welcome to Maine."

"Thanks," was all I could come up with.

"You'll enjoy this class; it's the easiest 'A' anyone can get. I do want to warn you though. You got stuck in a bad seat. Nobody's ever sat there; the guy who sits there isn't that social."

"I'm sure I can handle it. If he doesn't like it, he can kiss it." She laughed at this, and Mr. Peebody gave us one of those _be quiet_ looks.

When the bell for the end of class rang, I was relieved he hadn't made me introduce myself. I looked at the map and followed the green pen line to the gymnasium, which was, surprisingly enough, attached to the main building. I didn't know any school was small enough not to have a main building and a separate building for the gym.

Gym was uneventful. I didn't have to participate on this day because it was my first day. I was almost looking forward to tomorrow, though, because we were playing basketball. I could play well enough to like the game.

I did not, however, like Miss Brennon. She made me give a stupid introduction of myself. I had not wanted to get in front of a group of strangers and talk about myself. I turned bright red halfway through, and bolted straight for my seat as soon as I was done. If it hadn't been a required speech class, I may have considered getting a replacement class instead.

It was as if Izzy had some kind of radar built into her brain. As soon as she saw me walk out of the food line, she ran up to me and insisted I sit with her and her friends. I'm glad I'm good with names, otherwise I would never had remembered them all.

Sam was the blonde girl with the big teeth; she was dating Trevor, the skinny guy with dark hair. Rachael was the blonde girl with normal size teeth. Matt was her cousin; he was the _guy_ with blonde hair. And Brian was the dark-haired, self-proclaimed band geek.

They were an enlightening group, and they made me laugh, so in the end I was happy I'd decided to sit with them. The food wasn't half bad, but I would much rather have gone somewhere off-campus; this school didn't allow you to go off campus for lunch though. I guess an odd number of years before a kid had gone off campus and went missing. They never found him, and the school instated a no-more-off-campus-lunches rule.

My next class was a creative writing class. I was looking forward to this class.

Ms. Gage seemed fun enough, and she did not make me introduce myself, which made me grateful to her. My seat was in the back of the room, which I didn't quite mind. I was also thankful there was an empty seat next to me. Another bonus: nobody wanted to talk to me.

After class, I followed the pen line again; this was one red, and it lead to my earth science class. Izzy's friendly smile greeted me when she saw me walk in, and she ushered me over to her small group.

It was only Izzy, Sam, and Rachael, so I went ahead and joined their group. Mr. Smithington handed me a textbook, and we got to work on the assignments he had given us.

Carter and Leah were already waiting for me at the truck when school was over. It was a quiet ride home, which unnerved me. It was never quiet when it was just the three of us.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I was barely out of the truck cab when Leah stormed passed me and ran into the house, slamming the door in Carter's face. I shut the door to the truck and moved slowly into the house. I could hear Leah yelling something at Carter from upstairs, but I left the two of them alone. They had their moments, and their moments were often. I had learned not to listen anymore, that I was rarely a part of their arguments, and that it was much safer for myself to stay out of their way.

I tossed my bag on my bed and turned on my laptop. I figured I'd make a dent in the homework assignment for my creative writing class. I was halfway done when my mother knocked on the door, letting me know dinner was ready. I ran downstairs, grabbed a plate of my mom's spaghetti, and took it back upstairs to finish my paper.

I hated Maine already. I woke up to the sound of rain pattering on my bedroom window. Florida had rain, but not like this rain. Florida's rain was either short and sweet or overly-destructible. Maine's rain was depressing. It was a light drizzle, one of those annoying just-enough-to-get-your-hair-damp drizzles.

I put on the same jeans as yesterday-they were my favorite pair of jeans-donned a random black and pink tee, and threw on my converse. Grabbing a black jacket and my canvas bag, I went downstairs for a bagel breakfast.

I hurried across the parking lot in an attempt to keep from getting too wet, and I could have sworn I felt someone watching my every move. I turned back to the parking lot when I reached the door, but I saw no one looking in my direction.

I made it into the room just before Mr. Peebody shut his door; this was his way of catching any kids who wanted to get in late.

Izzy waved at me, and I took my seat, barely registering that someone was sitting next to me.

"Like the rain?" Izzy asked.

I shook my head. "Not at all. I miss the sun already!" We laughed, and I heard a clear throat-clearing from next to me. I turned to see who it was, and I was surprised to see a guy sitting there. He looked like he was going to vomit, and I almost laughed at him.

"You must be Mr. Anti-social." I stuck my hand out in an attempt at peace. "I'm Grace." He looked at my hand like there was something wrong with it. I withdrew it slowly, placing it on the desk in front of me. "Okay then. I guess not."

He clung to the opposite edge of the desk as though he were going to pass out at any moment. He was out of his seat before the bell even rang. I rolled my eyes at him, and followed Izzy into the hall.

"That was Edward., but I doubt he'll ever tell you himself. He's not at all the social type. He answers when called on, but he never goes out of his way to talk to anyone. Well, nobody other than his sisters and brothers. I don't know what his problem is. They're all nice as can be, but him…he's the exact opposite."

"So he's mean? How can he be mean if he never says anything?" I asked.

"I just assume he is because I've never act any different."

I closed my locker, my gym clothes in tow, and made my way to the gym.

I somehow made it through speech class, looking forward to the creative writing class that immediately followed lunch.

Izzy attacked me again as soon as I left the lunch line, and I felt extremely comfortable within this group. I enjoyed their company, and I had a feeling I had found my place in this school. I mentally patted myself on the back for being lucky.

I glanced outside, and sighed when I saw that it was raining, harder now than earlier. That's when I noticed Edward and, I assumed, his family.

"Those are the Cullens. They have a long and complicated story. Want to hear it?" Rachael asked. I could tell already that she loved to talk about other people. If gossiping were an Olympic sport, she'd have at least a silver medal. I didn't even answer before she began.

"The Cullens are strange. They're nice, don't get me wrong. They moved here from God knows where. Their father is a doctor; he has his own office here in town. His wife can't have any kids, I guess, so they adopted all of them." She pointed at the table they sat at. "Emmet's the adorable one with the dark hair. Rosalie is the pretty blonde girl. They're _together_, as in together-together. Jasper is the blonde guy, sitting next to Alice. They're together, too. And Edward is the one on the end. He always looks so lonely; I feel bad for him really. We've all tried to comfort him, but he won't even turn his head in our direction."

I looked back at the Cullens' table, only to find that Edward was staring at me, confusion on his face. I didn't care that he saw me looking. I was curious, so I looked.

I finally turned my attention back to Izzy's table. I enjoyed my turkey sub, and I enjoyed the conversation at the table. I glanced back at the Cullens' table one last time before I left the lunch room; Edward was staring at me still, as if he'd never taken his eyes off me. I shot him my own look of confusion and shook my head at him. Then I was off for creative writing.

I was there early, so I took the same seat I had the day before in the back of the class. I was pulling my assignment and notebook out of my canvas bag when Edward walked in. I looked at him, almost calling him out, and I watched as he made his way to sit in the seat across the aisle from me.

I shook my again, laughing at the fact that he would sit so close to me when he obviously disliked something about me. I didn't let it bother me, though; I never let what other people thought get to me.

Ms. Gage paired us off according to rows, and, wouldn't you know it, Edward was my partner.

He handed me his paper silently, and took mine off my desk before I could hand it to him. He set to work reading my paper, so I set to work on his. I picked apart everything, but in the end, there had been no use for the red pen I had taken out. His paper was perfect, and it made me slightly angry. I loved dissecting papers and making red marks on papers. It amused me deeply to point out mistakes.

I laid his paper on his desk when he was done with it and pulled the book I had been reading out of my bag. I barely noticed when Edward set my paper gently and fluidly on my desk. I looked at him out of the corner of my just enough to see that he was staring at me again. I set my bookmark, and closed the book, setting it down on my desk. Turning to him, I simply stared back. Several minutes passed before either of us moved. I looked up when Ms. Gage came by to collect our papers, but I quickly turned my attention back to Edward.

"So why do you keep staring at me? Earlier you looked as though you were repulsed by the mere sight of me." I rested my arms on the desk in front of me, still staring at him.

"It's complicated. You remind me of someone." He had no intent of divulging any deeper, so I pried into it myself.

"Who? Who do I remind you of?"

"Someone I met a long time ago. You look and smell just like her."

"Well, that is odd. I'm sorry if you think I smell. I'll try to smell better tomorrow."

He laughed softly and shook his head, looking down at his desk. I made note of his smile. It was slightly crooked, but I think I liked that. His reddish hair was shaggy, like it hadn't seen a brush in years. And when he looked at me, I almost lost myself in his eyes. I had never seen the golden shade of his eyes before, and I couldn't help but stare.

"What's your excuse for staring?" he asked, turning back to me.

"Your eyes. I've never seen anything like them before."

"Strange," he said. "I've seen them on everyone."

I reached across the aisle and slapped him, not sure of how he'd react. I was surprised at how solid he felt when my hand made contact with his arm.

"I meant the color of your eyes. No one likes a smart ass."

"I like being a smart ass. It keeps people away from me."

"So you don't like people? Then why aren't you home schooled?"

"Complicated. And out of the question."

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Ms. Gage chose that exact moment to start talking again, giving us another assignment, not due until Friday. The bell rang, and I was off, or so I thought, until Edward came up to me at my locker.

"You aren't scared of me, are you?"

"No. Why? Should I be?"

"Yes. You should want to stay away from me."

"Now see, you telling me that only makes me want to know more about you. If you had told me you were an interesting and wonderful guy who loves to talk all night, I would probably never looked twice at you, unless I had to."

"I'm an interesting and wonderful guy, and I love to talk all night long." I laughed at him.

"Too late, buddy. I'm going to figure out what you're hiding, even if it takes me until graduation. What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior."

"Good. That gives me a year and a half. I'll figure it out sooner or later. I love a good mystery." I closed my locker and headed for the science room. I could feel Edward watching me as I walked away, and I made sure to swing my hips a little too much, just to give him something worth staring at.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The rest of the week was uneventful, except for a few more very interesting and very flirtatious conversations with Edward. It was cold and cloudy all week, which I dreaded. I missed the sunshine terribly; I hadn't realized I even enjoyed the sun until it began to some in short supply.

Carter and Leah had fixed whatever problem had come up between the two of them, so the rides to and from school had become more enjoyable by Friday morning. Mr. Peebody made it his own personal goal to give a quiz or test every Friday. I didn't mind because it meant no geometry homework over the weekend.

Fifteen minutes at the beginning of class to study, and then the test over the entire chapter was to follow. I had brought the novel I had been reading with me because I knew I would breeze through this test; I had never any problems with any math-related topic.

I finished half an hour before class was over, so I pulled out said novel and began reading. I had just flipped it open when a piece of paper glided gracefully onto my desk.

I opened it quietly, and recognized the handwriting as Edward's. He was asking if I wanted to be his partner for the bridge-building project that was coming up in this class. I scribbled a quick response, accepting his offer, and waited until I was sure Mr. Peebody wasn't looking to hand it back.

I looked over at him, and he sent me a quick smile. I felt my heart skip a beat, and I quickly turned my attention back to my book.

I found myself stealing glances at Edward during lunch, and every time I did, I found that he was talking with his sisters and brothers. Once he did look at me, but I pretended to be looking outside, making sure to comment to Izzy and the others how much I was beginning to loathe the rain.

As we were leaving the lunch room, the Cullens got up to leave. That's when I noticed that none of them had touched a single item on their trays, hadn't even opened their drinks. I thought it odd, but passed it off, not really caring. _Maybe that's how Rosalie and Alice stay so thin_, I thought.

Edward was in the room already when I walked into creative writing. I watched him take in a deep breath when I walked by him then grip the desk like he was about to throw up.

"Do I smell again today? I swear I took a shower after gym class!"

"I never you smelled _bad_. If I'm going to be honest, it's completely intoxicating." He slowly lifted his grip off the desk, and I smiled at what he said.

We handed each other our papers and began reading. I had learned by this point not to even take my red pen out of my bag. We exchanged papers back when we were finished, and then took them up to Ms. Gage.

As we were walking back down the aisle to our desks, I felt my foot snag on the strap of someone's bag. I didn't have time to catch my footing, and I soon realized I was falling. Just as I was about to hit the ground, however, I felt a strong arm wrap around my stomach and stand me back up. I realized it was Edward who had caught me.

I could feel that my face was red as I made my way back to my seat, and I did my best not to look at him until the bell rang.

I barely caught up to Edward in the hallway after class. I had wanted to thank him properly; I'd more than likely have banged my head or something along those lines.

"Edward, do you have a minute?" I asked.

"A minute. What's up?"

"Thanks for catching me. I was too embarrassed to say anything in class earlier."

"Don't worry about it. My part was easy; it was your part that was difficult. How did you even manage to fall?"

"I got my foot caught on someone's bag. I do it all the time; you'd think I'd have learned by now." Edward laughed at me, and I couldn't help but laugh a bit too. "Well, I don't want to be late for science. I'll catch you later?"

"Sure. Later." I turned and walked away, not being able to help myself as a smile crept across my face.

I could barely take the next three weeks because of all the rain and clouds. I missed the sunshine greatly.

It finally warmed up a bit one Thursday afternoon, and the gym teacher took advantage of it by making us trudge outside to play softball. I liked the game well enough.

I was the last in line to bat for my team. I picked up the bat and took my stance in the batter's square. I watched as the ball wasp pitched, keeping my eye on the ball. I swung the bat when the ball came close enough, aluminum making clear contact with leather.

I took off for first base, rounded it, and landed on second. I took a split second to register where the ball was, and, seeing it was still being thrown in from outfield, I took off for third, where I stayed.

The next batter took her place, struck out, and went back to the bench. The batter after her managed to hit the ball, not far, but I decided to run for home plate anyways. I was two feet away when I felt someone behind hit into me, shoving me to the ground.

I felt pain in my foot instantly, and my eyes watered just as fast. I turned so I was sitting up, and reached for my ankle. I pulled my shoe off and removed my sock. My ankle had swollen twice its normal size already.

Everyone was standing around me, and I realized my teacher was asking me questions.

"Are you okay? Do we need to call someone?"

"Uh, yeah, can someone help me up?" I asked. There was a clanging of girls as practically everyone tried to help me. With one girl on each side acting as crutches, I hobbled my way to the office. Once inside, I leaned against the counter and dialed the phone next to me.

I knew my mom was too busy to call, so I opted for my father instead. My dad was out of work and picking me up in twenty minutes. She drove me to the doctor's office in town, which ironically enough happened to be Dr. Cullens' office.

The nurse ushered us back to one of the exam rooms, and I nearly fell trying to get up on the table-bed-thing. My father had chose to stay in the waiting room, much to my appeasement. The nurse checked my vitals, scribbling down numbers on a chart.

"The doctor will be with in a few moments," she said, and then she left. I stared at various things around the room, registering the sound of elevator music playing in the background.

Dr. Cullen came in within minutes, just as the nurse had said. I was surprised at how young Dr. Cullen was, barely thirty years old. I tried not to let my curiosity show, but it was still in the back of my mind.

"So your ankle is bothering you, is it?" he asked; I responded with a simple nod. "Let's take a look, shall we?" He pulled my pant leg up just a bit, and lightly touched my ankle. I winced at the pain that resulted, and was shocked at how cold his fingers were. _Bad circulation_, I thought.

"That is definitely sprained. I don't think it's broken," he said, "but we'll take an x-ray just to make sure. Can you hop down, or do you need help?"

"I think I can manage." I landed easily on my good foot, balancing on the table.

"Here," Dr. Cullen said, opening the door. He reached around the corner, and pulled a set of crutches into the room. "Use these."

I took them, gladly, and followed him into the x-ray room.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

My ankle wasn't broken after all, thankfully. Dr. Cullen set my ankle in a bandage, and I crutched my way into the waiting room. My father rushed over to me as soon as he saw me. _The rushing of people is really getting old_, I thought. I gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Here, Grace," Dr. Cullen said, coming up behind me. I wobbled around to look at him. "Take this. It'll excuse from missing school the rest of today and tomorrow. I'm putting on bed rest and ice duty through Sunday. Stay off of that foot."

"Yes, sir. I'd salute you, but I'd fall over if I tried." I made the doctor laugh, and that made me laugh.

Dad and I left for home, but not before we stopped to get some lunch to take home.

I was happy not to have go to school on Friday, but my good was soured when Izzy showed up with the homework I had missed from all of my classes.

"Edward offered to bring them over to you, but I wasn't sure if you wanted him to, so I told him I would." She tossed the pile of assignments and my textbooks, which she had so conveniently grabbed out of my locker somehow, on my desk.

"You should have let him bring them! Not that I don't enjoy your company, Iz. Thank you for bringing them over."

"So what do you think of Dr. Cullen? Isn't he gorgeous?" She sat on the corner of my bed, leaning towards me, waiting for my response.

"He's attractive, I'll give him that, but he's not my cup of tea."

"What's not to like about him?" she asked, practically yelling at me.

"Well, for one, he's married, and for two, he's, well, married!"

"I don't care. He's still gorgeous to me. Anyways, I've got to get home. I'll see you on Monday? Do you want me to meet you outside the school, help you inside or anything?"

"Uh, no thanks. I'm sure I can just get Carter or Leah to help me."

Izzy hugged me gently, leaving me to myself again. I sighed and hopped over to the desk to see what kind of assignments my teachers had given me.

By Saturday, I was bored to tears. I had finished almost all of my homework, which, surprisingly enough, hadn't been that much. I had watched all of the reruns of all of the shows I'd missed during the week. And I finished yet another novel on my personal reading list.

Carter had found a job, and Leah had found a boyfriend, so the two of them were out of the house completely during the day, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my crutches.

I could barely go up and down the stairs, so the few times I was bold enough to go downstairs, I was down there for hours because it was too difficult to back upstairs. And when I was upstairs, I was in the same boat, but at least I could find more to do when I was upstairs. I reorganized my books, my movies, and my CD's. I had re-watched several of my favorite movies, and I had put away the clean laundry that had been sitting in my laundry basket for a week.

I was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining what I could do if I didn't have a sprained ankle when my cell phone rang. The noise blared against the silence of the house, and I jumped about a foot off the bed. I didn't recognize the number, so I hit the kill button, letting it go straight to my voicemail. They didn't leave a message. I nearly jumped again when the phone rang a second time. It was the same unrecognized number. I answered it.

"Hello?" I said hesitantly.

"Hello, Grace." I recognized the melodic voice immediately.

"Edward? How did you get this number?"

"Carlisle. He couldn't give me details of your case, of course, but he was able to give me your number so I could call and ask for myself."

"Uh-huh. Got it."

"So how are you doing? Bored yet?"

"Immensely. I've been alone for hours, and have had nothing to do the entire time."

"Want some company?"

I bit my lip, considering my options. "Sure. I mean, if you're not doing anything else, I guess so. I wouldn't want to steal you away from anything you're doing."

"I'm not doing anything. Where do you live?"

"Didn't you get that off my file to? Or do you not want to classify yourself as 'stalker' yet?"

"Ha-ha, very funny. No I did not get your address off your file; only your phone number." I laughed and gave him the address. "I'll be over in a bit."

"Okay. Just come on upstairs. The door's unlocked, and I can't exactly go downstairs to greet you. Dr. Cullen put me on temporary bed rest."

"You can call him Carlisle outside of the office, you know."

"Eh. Too awkward I think. I don't know him well enough."

"See you soon."

I closed my phone and set it on the table by the bed. Then I realized I was still in my pajamas. I hobbled as quickly as I could to my closet, grabbed a shirt then hopped over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans. I crutched my way to the bathroom. I dressed as quickly as possible, not knowing how long his 'in a bit' would be, even re-brushing my teeth, deodorizing, and running a brush through my hair.

I had barely sat back on my bed, and was attempting to steady my breathing, when I heard the door open, and then quietly shut.

"Hello?" I heard Edward call from downstairs.

"Up here!" I answered.

I didn't even hear his footsteps as he came up the stairs and down the hall to my room. I tried not to show the fact that I was overly excited to see him, trying to play it as cool as I could. But my heart was working overtime, beating faster than I expected it to.

He pulled my computer chair over next to the bed and sat on it. I didn't know any other guy who would have done that; most would have opted to sit next to me on the bed.

I had propped my foot up on a towel and replaced the bag of ice on my ankle, just keep up the damsel appearance.

"You should hear what people are saying at school."

"Oh, please, do share."

"Your little softball sprained ankle has turned into a head on collision at the main light in town. You're now in the hospital barely hanging on to life by a thread."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're lying."

"Yeah, you're right, I am." I laughed and threw the nearest thing I could grab at him; it had been the book that I had just finished reading. I thought I was going to hit him square in the head, but he caught it effortlessly in his hand before it made contact.

"So what happened in the day and a half I've been gone?"

"Not much. You did miss a horrible exam yesterday in geometry."

"Did you turn in the paper about what we're making our bridge out of?"

"Yes. And Mr. Peabody said it's fine if use toothpicks and gumdrops."

"I feel like I'm back in the third grade, using toothpicks and gumdrops."

"Oh well. We can eat the leftovers."

"Now that sounds good."

"Aren't you bored up here in your room?" he asked, giving me a sly smile.

"It's too hard to climb up and down the stairs."

"I can fix that." I watched as Edward stood up, and then gasped as he scooped me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he shifted me slightly in his arms.

"You don't have to do this."

"I know." He descended the steps smoothly. I found out that I felt completely safe in Edward's arms, and that I did not want him to let me go. But he did let me go, setting me down on the couch. He went back up stairs long enough to snatch my crutches, and then joined me on the sofa.

Two hours passed of random conversation before I even realized ten minutes had gone by. My parents would be home any minute, and I wasn't sure how they'd feel about my being alone in the house with a guy.

"It's getting late," I said, my voice trailing off.

"Should I leave?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't know how my parents feel about guys in the house, especially when I'm home alone." I bit my lip.

"I should probably go then." He turned towards the front door just as my father walked through it.

"Oh, Grace. I didn't know you had company."

"Hello, Mr. Cross." Edward got off the couch and walked over to my father, extending his hand. "I'm Edward."

"Edward. It's nice to meet you." My dad looked at Edward's hand, and then, almost hesitantly, shook it. "Cold hands."

"Bad circulation." My father nodded, a look of 'ah' on his face.

I grabbed the crutches and stood up, hobbling over to them. "Edward's friend from school. He just stopped by to keep me from dying of boredom."

"Oh, I see. Well, don't let me get in your way. I'm just heading into my office to finish some paperwork from work."

I opened my mouth to respond, but at that moment, my mother walked in the house. Edward turned to the door, and when their eyes met, it was as if they were both a pair of deer staring at headlights.

"Edward?" she asked. Her mouth gaped open.

"Bella," was all he said. I looked back and forth between the two, obviously not getting something.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

My eyes automatically shifted from parent to friend and back again.

"You know each other?"

My mom's mouth was still gaping, shock apparent on her face.

"I used to know her. A long time ago. Bella…was…my…um…"

"Babysitter. When he was a kid." Edward's stayed blank; he simply nodded in agreement. "It's been a long time, Edward."

"A long time." Edward turned to me. "I should really be going. I'll see you at school Monday."

I nodded, and then he was gone. I turned back to my mother.

"You were his babysitter?"

"Uh, yeah. A long time ago." My mother went into the kitchen and began doing dishes. I followed after her; my father had already locked himself in his office for the night. I almost felt bad for the poor dishes she was manhandling them so badly. My mother never did the dishes. Loaded the dishwasher, maybe, but she never did the dishes.

"Mom, what's up?"

"Nothing. Did you meet Edward at school then?" She avoided my eyes, staring at the bubbles in the sink as she scrubbed last night's lasagna from the plates.

"Yes. I feel like there's something you're not telling me."

"No. Just be careful who you get involved with. Not everyone is what they seem."

I was confused even more, but I could tell I was getting nowhere with her, that she was not going to tell whatever it was that was weighing on her mind. I struggled up the stairs, wishing Edward were still here to carry me again. I finally made it to the landing, letting out a big sigh.

I shut my door quietly behind me then hobbled to my bed. Standing in front of it, I set the crutches down on the bed. I set my sore ankle on the floor, and gently tried to apply slight pressure to it. Pain shot straight up my leg, tears forming in my eyes, and I lifted it immediately from the floor.

"You shouldn't do that, you know." I jumped at the voice, spinning on my one good foot and fell on the bed, both of my feet flying in the air. I sat up on the bed as quickly as I could and stared at Edward standing in front of my closet.

"What the hell are you doing in here?! I thought you left?"

"I did. Then I jumped onto your window ledge and climbed in the window."

"You jumped? Onto my window ledge? I'm on the second floor. How did you jump up there?"

"I'm special. I jump higher than the average human."

"But why are you in my room? Why did you scare me like that?"

"I needed to talk to you, away from your mother. And as for scaring you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Talk to me? About what?"

"I can't give you details. Not yet, and maybe not at all. I'm not sure yet. I have to talk to Alice first. I wanted to warn you. I don't know what Bella will tell you about me, if she tells you anything at all."

"She said she was your babysitter. But then she warned me that not everyone is what they appear to be. Are you not what you appear to be?"

"That's complicated."

"How?"

"I don't know if I can trust you enough yet. I can't read you, just like I couldn't read Bella. I should have known something was off. Between not being able to read you and the scent you emit, it was more obvious than I thought."

"You're confusing me again."

"I'm sorry." Edward walked silently over to the bed and sat down next to me. He took his hand in mine, and drew circles on my palm with his thumb. The touch of his thumb sent a cold shiver up my arm.

"You're so cold…"

"It comes with the territory."

"Why don't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you _at all_. It's just that I don't know enough about you yet. I don't know if you could handle a secret as heavy the one I bear."

"Then get to know me. Ask me whatever you want. I'd be willing to spend quite a bit of time with you."

"And why is that?"

I bit my lip, looking at my hand in his. "The truth is that I like you. A lot. I want to know more about you, and if that means you need to know everything about me, then so be it."

The circling stopped, and all I could do was stare into his eyes. I barely felt him entwine his finger with mine. His entire hand was freezing, but I could hardly tell. I couldn't stop staring into his eyes. His golden-hued eyes.

My leg began to tingle, so I forced myself to look away, choosing the floor instead.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Start from the beginning."

"Define 'beginning'."

"Why you moved here, and then go from there."

"Well, it all started when my dad was offered a job here…"

We spent more hours than I thought we would talking about me. I didn't realize I had so much to tell about myself, but I somehow did.

It was well passed midnight when I started yawning. I laid my head on my pillow, and just stared at the ceiling. Edward propped my foot up for me. The ice had melted hours ago, so, instead, he laid his hand on my ankle. It was, in fact, colder than the ice. The pain subsided quickly.

Sometime after the pain was gone, I fell asleep, listening to the wind outside of my window.

I woke up alone the next window. My ankle was still cold, and the pain was gone, which I was very thankful for. I put a pair of sweat pants on and crutched to the bathroom. After taking care of necessary things, I made my way slowly down the stairs. I found my mother in her office (which was completely separate from my father's).

"Can I talk to you, Mom?"

"Of course you can. You know you can always talk to me about anything. And I do mean _anything_."

"I want you to tell me about Edward. And I want the truth. You weren't his babysitter. I know that much. So I want to know what really went on between the two of you."

My mother took a deep, heavy breath, and then let it out slowly, almost dragging out the time before she had to answer.

She turned away from her desk, facing me as I sat down in the chair across the small room.

"Edward isn't like you and me. He's seen a lot more of this world than me, your father, even your grandparents. He looks seventeen, but he's much older than that, much wiser than anyone I've ever met. He possesses a strength unmatched by anyone outside of his family. I knew him a long time ago; I was only a year older than you when I first saw him.

"He saved my life once, back when I lived with Charlie in Washington. He was a good friend. He was my first love. We shared something I've never seen between anyone else. To be honest, not even your father and I have what Edward and I had. But I love your father with all my heart, don't think I don't.

"Edward broke my heart once. He didn't do it intentionally; I don't think he could ever do that. And my heart was never the same way after. He risked his life and the lives of his entire family because he thought I had made a stupid mistake, and I couldn't ever quite forgive him for that.

"When I saw him here yesterday, it brought back so many memories. Good memories…and bad. I want you to be careful, Grace. You have to be careful." She rolled her chair so that she was close enough to take my hands in her own. "Promise me that where Edward is concerned, you'll be as careful as you possibly can."

"I promise. But why do I have to be careful? Is there something wrong with him?"

She let out a small laugh. "No. There's nothing _wrong_ with him, so to speak. I think you should hear the rest from him. He'll tell you when he's ready. He never even technically told me. I had to guess. It took me weeks of searching, and the only thing that got me remotely close to the truth was an old tale a dear friend once told me." Her voice broke, and I could tell she was ready to cry. I got up and grabbed my crutches.

"Thank you. For the truth."

"You're welcome."

"And don't worry, Mom. I'll be careful."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

My alarm rang out through the silence of my room at 6:30 Monday morning. I didn't have to leave for an hour, but I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get ready for school.

I somehow accomplished getting ready and eating breakfast faster on this morning than I think I ever had. Leah helped me into the Beast, which we affectionately nicknamed the truck, and Carter tossed my crutches into the back. The days grew colder, and I found I had to add more layers to my morning ensemble. Soon, I would have to start wearing thicker layers.

Carter was nice enough to carry my books to my locker for me, but had to leave me to fend for myself when the first warning bell rang out in the halls. I sighed and stuffed what I needed in my bag and shut my locker. I made it a total of five feet before I practically fell over.

An all-too-familiar arm was wrapped around my waist, keeping me from falling. I stood myself back up and smile as Edward picked up my fallen crutch.

"Give me that bag." It had been a statement, not a question or suggestion. He pulled my bag over my head and hung it over his own shoulder. I laughed softly.

"The black and pink look wonderful on you, Edward."

We walked into geometry late, and I was thankful that all Mr. Peabody had to do was look at me to know why. I didn't have to give an explanation, I didn't have to weasel my way out of a tardy.

I noticed Izzy wasn't in her seat as I made my way to mine. 

I plopped down in my seat and took my bag from Edward. Mr. Peabody began his lesson, and I took out a piece of paper. I had so many questions for Edward, and none of them could wait any longer.

Me: I talked to my mom. I thought you should know.

Edward: About…? I was amazed at how elegant his handwriting was.

Me: I asked her about you. She told me about the two of you. At least part of it. She wouldn't delve into your secret, but I know you've been seventeen for a long time. I don't know how long, just awhile.

Edward: What do you want to know?

Me: Anything you're willing to tell me at this point. Why have you been seventeen for so long? How did that happen?

Edward: That's the part that's so complicated. I'm afraid of how you'll react. If you're anything like your mother though…

Me: I've got a lot of time. I'm not going anywhere.

Edward: That's what I'm afraid of. Will you let it go, just for now, if I promise to tell you at lunch?

Me: Yes. But only until lunch.

Edward: Thank you.

Me: So when did you leave my house?

Edward: Four. I think. I'm not sure.

Me: Weren't you tired? You should have just stayed and gotten some sleep. He laughed at my question.

Edward: I'm fine. Trust me. I'll explain it all at lunch; I promise.

After giving instructions for the class, Mr. Peabody pulled me aside to discuss the exam I had missed Friday. I was to make it up at lunch tomorrow. I dreaded having to spend my lunch time with Mr. Peabody, but it was better than doing it after school.

I sat out at gym, which I secretly loved.

Much to my surprise, Edward's sister, Alice, came up to me as I made my way to the cafeteria for lunch. She had literally come skipping up to me, her bubbly and outgoing personality shining right through.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "I'm Alice. I'm Edward's sister."

"Hi. I'm Grace. I'm Edward's friend."

"I don't know if I'd call you his friend."

"Then you know something that I don't."

"Well, he's asked you to join him at lunch, hasn't he? That means a lot in our little reclusive world. Come on; I'll help you."

She carried my tray for me and set it down next to hers at the table. I shot a glance over to Izzy's table, and every one of her friends were staring at me. I sat down and made myself comfortable.

"This is Emmet and Rosalie-" she pointed to each- "and Jasper."

"Where did Edward go?"

"Oh, he's coming. He ordered out today." The Cullens all laughed, but I had completely missed the joke. "He said to apologize for breaking his promise, and that he'll see you in creative writing."

"Okay…"

"He also told us to watch out for you, to help you if you needed it," Rosalie said, giving Emmet some weird look.

"So how old are all of you? You can't possibly all be seventeen."

Jasper was the one who spoke this time. "Well, Rose and I are eighteen. Alice is seventeen, and Emmet just turned eighteen."

"And how long have you been those ages?" I had asked just the right question. Alice smiled at me, but Emmet looked a bit uncomfortable. I picked at the salad in front of me. Apparently I wasn't very hungry after all.

"How much do you know?" he asked.

"She doesn't know much, yet. He hasn't told her everything yet." Alice's face went completely blank, and I watched as Jasper pulled out a sheet of paper as quick as he could, along with a pencil. He put the pencil in her hand, and she began drawing; I immediately recognized my mother's face.

"Why did you draw my mother?"

"Your mother? Bella is your mother?" Alice asked.

"Yes."

"Oh!" she squealed. "Tell her I say hello when you get home. Tell her we _all_ say hello."

"Um, okay. I will."

"I miss Bella. We should visit her!"

"Alice," Rosalie said. "Do you really think that would be a good idea?"

"Why not? She knows us best. We wouldn't have to hide anything in front of her. And I am very much interested in hearing what's happened to her since the last time we saw her. I'm sure she doesn't look like this picture anymore." She turned her head back to face me. "Tell her we're coming over this weekend. That will give her plenty of time to get her mind together."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

True to his word, Edward was waiting for me in Ms. Gage's class. I thanked Alice again for helping me to class, and took my seat next to Edward.

"I'm taking you away after school. Just for a drive, to somewhere I like to go to be alone."

"Okay. I'll have to at least let Carter and Leah know, but I'm sure they'll only be happy they don't have to cart me around."

Edward drove farther away then I thought he was going to, and he liked to drive fast. His Volvo went faster than most cars, and we made a 40 minute trip in less than 15 minutes. When we got out, I realized we were at a beach. I looked out at the lake from the car, and I was amazed at the view.

Edward came around to the passenger side of the car and scooped me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I could get used to this. Maybe next time I'll go for a full on broken bone."

"I'd feel really bad if you broke a bone because of me."

He set me down gently on the sand, and went back for my crutches. He was back within seconds, which confused me again.

"You're fast."

"I am."

"Will you tell me now?"

"I'm fast. I'm strong. And I can read the minds of every person I've come across, except for you and your mother. I don't know about your sister and brother either. I haven't spent enough time with them yet."

"This is all fascinating, but _why_ are you fast, _why_ are you strong, _why_ can you read minds?"

He sat on the sand beside me, and picked up a pebble. He tossed it halfway across the lake, which in itself was at least a mile across.

"In 1918, Carlisle killed me. I was dying from Spanish Influenza. I've been frozen in time at seventeen ever since."

"I don't understand. How did he kill you?"

"Simple. He bit me." I couldn't help but laugh, and hard at that.

"I'm sorry!" I said. "But did you just say he BIT you?!"

"Yes. He bit me, which sent a very specific poison through my veins. For three days I was in excruciating agony. After that, there was no more pain. Not in a certain sense. I didn't have to eat, not human food anyways. I no longer had to sleep. I didn't have to _breath_. I thirsted, though. I thirsted for blood. It took all the strength I had to get to the point I'm at now."

"And what point is that?"

"Well, I'm not attacking you am I?" He laughed. "None of my family drink human blood. We feed on animals."

"That's where you went at lunch."

"Smart girl."

"What's your favorite? Which animal do you prefer?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"An honest one. I want to know."

He laughed, falling on his back in the sand. I gently laid back too.

"Seriously. What's your favorite flavor?"

"Mountain lion. There's just something about them that I crave. Emmet likes grizzlies. Jasper likes cattle; he's from Texas, so he loves to have a steak every now and then." That made me laugh.

"How are you here now? I didn't think vampires could go out in the day?"

"Not true. We can. Just not out into direct sunlight. Luckily, Maine has had some pretty bad weather this year. You won't see any of us in school on a sunny day, just a warning."

"And holy water and crosses?"

"Made up by a pope hundreds of years ago. It helped him sleep at night thinking he could protect himself. He actually ran into a Satanic vampire one night. The only reason the vampire ran off was because he was offended by the cross."

"That's funny. And the garlic stories? Those aren't true, either, are they?"

"Nope. Garlic just smells horrible. That's all."

"Could you read minds before-" I laughed as I said it- "Carlisle bit you?"

"No. But I was very good at reading people."

"And Alice; could she see whatever it she sees before she was bitten?"

"We don't know. But we're pretty sure because she died in an insane asylum. We think her parents put her in there because they were afraid, that they didn't know what was going on inside her head."

I bit my lip. "Is it just the two of you, or does every vampire have some special…power?"

"Jasper can control emotions. Powers are really random, unless you have some remarkable ability when you're human." He sat back up, staring out at the water. I sat up, too, scooting a bit closer to him.

I rested my head on his shoulder, and he turned to face me. Our faces were close enough that I knew he could feel my breath on his face. He reached for my hand, twining his fingers through mine. I was surprised that I could be perfectly content with just sitting like this.

Edward was not a typical guy, and I loved that about him. We watched the water for a long time, sitting in silence and just enjoying each other's presence.

Finally, as the sky grew dark, Edward carried me back to his car. He tucked my crutches away in the trunk, and then drove me home. He even went as far as to carry me in the house and upstairs. I saw the look on my mother's face when he came in carrying me.

He kissed the top of my head lightly and was off. My mother did not think twice; as soon as Edward had gone, she was in my bedroom, sitting on the bed next to me.

"I thought you said you'd be careful, Grace."

"I don't feel afraid with him."

"I was in your shoes once. And I think I am the only person in this world who can honestly say that I've been there. Please, keep my advice in mind."

"I will, Mom. I told you that."

"Thank you."

"By the way, Alice says hi. Actually, Emmet, Rosalie, and Jasper say hello as well. And Alice said to tell you that they're coming over on Saturday."

She let out a long exasperated breath then nodded her head.

"It's been a long time. I've missed them over the years. It'll be good to catch up with them. Goodnight, Gracie."

"Mom…"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

It took another full week before I was able to walk around without the use of crutches. My ankle was still sore, but at least I could stand and walk on it.

On Saturday, I woke to find my mother hurriedly cleaning the house, making sure everything was in order. I had never seen her fuss this much over how the house looked when someone was supposed to come over. She didn't even make this much of a fuss when any of my grandparents visited.

Edward walked in first, followed closely by Alice and Jasper, with Rosalie and Emmet coming in last. Emmet walked straight over to Mom and pulled her into a huge bear hug, inadvertently forcing the air out of her lungs.

Alice was next, followed by Rosalie, each giving her gentle hugs, making sure not to make Emmet's mistake. Jasper followed suit, giving her his own hug.

Edward walked over by me, wrapping an arm around my waist. He whispered in my ear, "I'm stealing you, by the way, while Bella reunites with her friends."

I nodded then went upstairs to grab my coat. Donning my very practical snow boots, we left.

Edward didn't have to drive as far today; he settled for taking me back to his own house. I was amazed as soon as he pulled into the driveway.

The house was huge, and I was surprised at the amount of windows the house had. I laughed at my own thought. Walking into the house, I was welcomed by the smell of apples.

"Does it always smell so wonderful in here?" I asked, taking my jacket off. Edward took it from me and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

"Something like this. Esme sprays something different every morning so that it smells like something new each day."

We walked through the entryway and into the living room, which was dominated by a beautiful leather L-shaped sofa and a TV hanging on a wall. The kitchen was large and open, the perfect place to create tasteful dishes. We kept going, into what appeared to be a game room. A pool table and a television and small sofa with a couple of gaming consoles were in this room.

"You play pool?" I asked, running my hands over the green felt.

"Very well actually. Do you know how to play?"

"Not too well," I lied. I did know how, but there was no way for him to know that. I liked being able to pretend that he was human, and it was easier for me with him not being to know what I was thinking.

"I could teach you," he offered.

He pooled two pool sticks from the rack on the wall, handing me one and setting the other on the table. The pool balls were already set up, ready for whoever wanted to play; Edward set the white cue ball up.

"Come over here." I walked over to where he stood, pretending not to know what to do. "Stand here, and set up the shot."

"What?"

"Here." He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me in order to help me understand. This was why I had played dumb. My heart started beating faster, and I could smell Edward's scent, which was very strong. "You hold the stick like this," he said, putting it in my hand. His face was close enough to mine that our cheeks touched. "And hit the white ball." I took a deep breath, releasing it as I tapped the ball with the stick.

"That wasn't so difficult," he said. I turned my face slightly. Our noses were touching, but neither of us moved.

"I guess not," I whispered. I felt Edward's hand brush against my face, and I closed my eyes. Then I felt his lips touch lightly against mine, just a feather light brush.

I opened my eyes and looked into his. And then he kissed me again, and this time it wasn't a light kiss. His hand was at my neck, resting gently. I felt my own hand wind up to the back of his head, my fingers winding into his hair.

I felt myself deepening this kiss, and I felt Edward's other hand on my waist, pulling me closer to himself. I shifted my body so that my back was leaning on the pool table. I pulled him closer with my free hand, and I felt my head beginning to spin.

And then he was gone, pushing himself away from me. My breathing came our in short, ragged puffs. I swallowed hard, trying to regulate my breathing again.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?" I asked.

"I shouldn't have done that." He was shaking his head.

"I wasn't exactly stopping you, Edward."

"That's half the problem. You should have."

"Should I leave?"

"Not unless you want to. This is just hard for me. It's bringing back some painful memories. I'm sorry. It's going to take me a bit of time to get used to this again."

"My mother really did a number on you, didn't she?" I walked over to where he stood and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting the side of my face on his chest. "And besides, I've got time to wait. I'm not going anywhere."

He wrapped his own arms around me, and I felt his kiss the top of my head. We just stood there for a long time, the only movement from either of being my own breathing.

It was hours before Edward's family returned from my house, before I finally had to leave.

The drive home was slow, much slower than it had taken to get Edward's house, but this time he was driving much slower.

We stood on my porch, my breath puffing out in white clouds.

"I'll see you at school Monday then?"

"Of course. We're going hunting in Canada tomorrow, but we'll be back before school starts." I nodded and turned towards the door. Edward took hold of my wrist, turning me back to face him. His lips brushed against mine, and then he whispered, "Goodnight."

I smiled as he walked back to his car, watching him as he took off. I tried not to walk in the house with an obviously goofy smile plastered across my face, but I couldn't help it. I went straight up to my room and locked my door to get ready for bed.

I dreamt of Edward that night, dreamt of what it would be like for him to chase down mountain lions.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

When I walked into class onto Monday, Edward was waiting for me, but Izzy stopped me just inside the classroom, wanting to stake her claim on my lunch time for that day.

"It's been awhile, and we all want to know what's going on."

"I'll sit with you today. And I'll tell you guys everything." I made my way to my seat, and Izzy to hers. I smiled at Edward, and he eyed me carefully.

"You'll tell them everything?" he asked.

"Everything they need to know."

"So are you Edward, like, a thing?" Rachael asked. Brian, Trevor, and Matt seemed to care very little about what I had to say, but Sam and Rachael and Izzy were on the edge of their seats, waiting for my answer.

"Define 'thing'…"

"Oh my God! You _are_!" Rachael screamed, a wicked smile spreading across my face, which, in turn, flushed bright red. I shook my head and tried to hide it in my hands, but Sam pulled my hand from my face.

"So tell us; what's he like?" Sam asked, scooting her chair closer to me. I heard a very loud and very distinct laugh from Edward, who was all the way across the cafeteria.

"He's sweet. And we talk about everything, whether it's important or not, and we can sit in each other's company for hours without even saying a word."

"Impressive. Is he a good kisser?" Rachael asked.

"I don't think that's very relevant, Rachael," I said in an attempt to avoid answering.

"Oh, it's completely relevant, Grace. So, is he a good kisser or not?" At this point, all three girls were on the edge of their seats, so I decided to give them an answer that would make them fall off their chairs altogether.

"His kisses make me go weak, and every time he kisses me, I can feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. It's like nothing anyone has ever experienced before."

All three girls sat staring at me with their mouths hanging open, and I shifted my gaze to Edward, looking at him over top of Izzy's head. A smile spread slowly across his face, and I knew they were all thinking of what I had just told them. I got up from the table, grabbed my tray, and tossed the remains of my lunch in the garbage. I looked back at the table of speechless girls, and sauntered out of the cafeteria, Edward following close behind.

He caught up with me in the hallway, draping his arm over my shoulders and catching my pace. I stole a glance at him, and almost laughed out loud at the smug look plastered across his face.

"Like that, did you?" I asked.

"Butterflies? Really?" His smug look continued. Apparently being a vampire had no effect on the size of a man's ego.

"I'm not sure. I could have been lying. Maybe you should kiss me again so I can see." He had me pinned up against the wall within the blink of an eye, and was kissing me the next. I could barely breath because of how fervent he was.

My hand wound up to the back of his head, almost instinctually, and I felt his own hand on the small of my back, pulling me towards him. Our other two hands were entwined, resting on the wall by my head.

There was no one else in this particular hall, I was aware of that much, and if anyone was headed this way, I knew Edward would be aware of it.

I let go of his hand, and rested it on his side, bunching his shirt up in my fist. His hand moved to my own waist, resting gently on the side of my stomach. He broke the kiss long enough for me to take another deep breath, and then was kissing me again. I could feel him smiling as our mouths moved together, taking part in an age-old dance.

He pulled away slowly, cupping my face.

"Any butterflies?" he asked, completely calm and collected.

It took me a couple of seconds to regain my breathing. "No, not butterflies. Pterodactyls. An enormous flock of them." He let go of me and took my hand in his, and we started walking towards our creative writing classroom.

I could tell my face was flushed, but I could blame it on the cold. Edward's face was the same it had been, not flushed in the slightest, but I knew if he could have, his face would be just as red as mine.


	11. Chapter 10

*** I do not in any way, shape, or form own Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, or Jacob. That's all I'm saying for now because I don't know if I'm going to have any other _Twilight_ characters other than these.

Chapter Ten

I woke up one Saturday morning, blinded by severe white light rushing into my bedroom window. I drug my feet as I meandered over to the window. I let out a long exasperated sigh at the sight of snow on the ground.

I hated the snow; I was still used to the warmth of Florida. I could see Carter outside, attempting to shovel the snow out of the driveway; Dad was cleaning the cars off, swiping snow onto spots Carter had already shoveled.

I was already cold just from looking at the snow, so I hopped in the shower, and then ran downstairs for a quick breakfast. I spent much of the morning alone in my bedroom, working on homework for a few classes. A couple of hours into my work, I grew rather bored, and switched to random online surfing, trying to get my mind distracted so that I could finish it.

Lunchtime rolled around, and my stomach was not about to let me forget. I ignored the low rumbling noise for as long as possible, but finally gave up and went downstairs for food. Mom was sitting at the table, a newspaper in hand and a cup of coffee on the table. She looked up at me when she heard me come in. I went to the refrigerator and took out all the things I would need for a delicious turkey sandwich.

I sat across from my mother at the table, the silence between us unsettling. I simply could not stand the quiet any longer. "I thought you had a meeting today?"

"No. The guy I was supposed to meet called and cancelled. His car got stuck in the snow. He said it would be a few hours before he could make it out, so we just agreed to reschedule."

"Oh." I continued eating my sandwich. She finally folded the newspaper up and set it down. She took a long sip of her coffee, and then smiled at me.

"How's everything at school?" she asked.

"Fine. Nothing new there."

"Oh. How about your grades? Are they still good?"

"Yup. Still a B average."

"That's good. Are you still seeing Edward?"

I was dreading this question; I had been dreading for awhile, waiting for my mother to ask it at any moment for the past few days.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to go hang out at the Cullens this afternoon actually."

"Oh." The tone in her voice almost made it a question. "I don't think you mentioned that to me."

"Dad said it was okay. He said I could go as long as I was home at a decent time."

"He did, did he?" I nodded. "And what time do you think is a decent time?"

"Ten o'clock. I have homework I still have to finish, so I don't want to be out late. I want to be able to wake up early and finish it tomorrow if I don't get it finished before I leave in a few hours." She nodded her head.

"Ten's fine. Try not to be much later if you can help it."

"Okay." I had finished my sandwich by this point, so I stole the opportunity to put my plate in the sink. I hated these talks with my mother; they were always awkward. She sometimes me felt like I should be guilty for liking a guy. I knew deep down that my mother only had my best interest at heart, but it was annoying at best. "Anything else?"

"I want to give you one last piece of advice, Grace." The few times my mother did use my name, I knew it meant business, that there would be an air of seriousness to her message. "Don't let yourself be alone with Edward too often, and when you are alone with him, make sure you're within screaming distance of someone else. Please, do that for me."

"Why shouldn't I be alone with him, Mom?"

"It's hard for him to control himself, Grace. Remember what he is. He could lose control at any moment, and I couldn't live with myself if I let you go off with him knowing full and well what Edward is capable of."

"I've been alone with him before, Mom, and nothing has ever happened. I feel safer with Edward than I ever have."

"Promise me that you'll be careful."

"Fine. I promise. Anything _else_?"

"No; that's all. I'm going to the store in a few minutes. I don't know how long I'll be gone, so have fun. I'll see you tonight when you get home."

I walked back upstairs, fully intent on finishing at least one subject worth of homework.

I had lost track of time; it was 2:30 before I realized the time, and Edward was supposed to come get me at 3:00. I hurried around my room trying to figure out something to wear and something to do with my hair.

I had just finished brushing my hair when I heard the door open and close. I could hear my father talking to Edward, both voices indistinct. I ran out of the bathroom and back into my bedroom to change my clothes. An adorable bubble skirt and one of my favorite shirts with a pair of even more adorable shoes and I was ready. I ran to the top of the stairs, but walked down them slowly, not to seem as eager as I really was.

My own face lit up when I saw Edward, and he smiled in return.

"Aren't you going to be cold in that?" he asked.

"No. I plan on grabbing a coat and stuff." I went to the hallway closet and removed my newly purchased gray sailor-style jacket. I also put on a pair of bright pink gloves and matching scarf.

"Alright, as long as you say so. It's colder than I think you realize out there." I rolled my eyes at him, but I regretted not taking his advice as soon as I walked outside. My legs, which were completely exposed from having chosen to wear a skirt, were freezing, but I would not let Edward know he had been right. I simply would not admit defeat.

Edward laughed. "Are you sure you're not cold?"

"Nnnn…oooooo….." My jaw shivered. _My secret is out, I guess. Oh well_, I thought. Edward opened the car door for me, and I slid into the warmth of the vehicle. He went around to his trunk, popped it open, and returned with a fleece blanket.

"Good thing I'm always prepared," he said, wrapping the blanket around me. I glared at him, the feeling slowly coming back to my legs.

"Thank you," I said, annoyed at his smugness. The drive to the Cullens' was a quiet one, but it had gone by so quickly, there hadn't been much time to discuss anything.

When we got there, everyone was sitting around the TV, watching some cheesy romantic comedy.

"Come join us!" Esme said. "The movie just started."

"We're forcing the guys to watch it. They force us to watch the Superbowl every year, so these little movies every now and then are our little revenge," Rosalie said.

"Do you want to watch it?" Edward asked, a hope in his voice that I wouldn't.

"No, Rosalie, but thanks anyways. Maybe next time. I've seen this movie, and it didn't peak my interest very much." Edward took my hand and lead me upstairs. My mother's words rang out in the back of my mind, to not be alone with him, but I pushed them even further back into my mind, ignoring them completely.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

We climbed the stairs slowly, and when we got to Edward's room, he slipped in one of his favorite CD's. I looked around the room, this having been my first time seeing his bedroom. Several book shelves were packed full with books; one small shelving unit stood out to me, and I walked over to it. It held a line of yearbooks from schools past. There was a television on one wall, and a large sofa sat across from it.

It took me a few minutes to realize what was missing from the room. "There's no bed…"

"I told you; I don't sleep. I have no need for a bed."

There was yet another bookshelf under the TV, this one filled with an assortment of DVD's. Old black-and-white movies, bad 70's horror movies, cheesy 90's romances, and the newest of new releases.

"I have a lot of…time on my hands," he said.

"I can see that. You must stay busy though, between the books and the movies."

"Not really. It gets old after awhile." Edward walked over and sat on the couch, and I followed him, cuddling into his side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I wrapped my own arm around his stomach. He kissed the top of my head lightly.

"My mother warned me about this."

"About what?"

"Being alone with you. She told me to be careful if we were ever alone."

"She's right. We really should be downstairs with everyone else. There's nobody here to protect you."

"You're here. I don't need protecting from anyone else; you're not going to hurt me." I felt Edward laugh. I shifted myself so that I was looking at him. "What is there to be afraid of?"

In that second, Edward was gone, reappearing quicker than I could ever imagine on the other side of the room.

"I'm faster than any other creature on this planet."

I stood up, folded my arms in front of my chest and said, "I'm not afraid."

He flashed back next to me and picked up the sofa with one hand, as if it were a piece of paper.

"I'm _stronger_ than any other creature on this planet."

I took a step toward him, lifting my chin confidently. "I'm _still_ not afraid."

And then he kissed me, deeply and passionately. My lips parted and his tongue found mine, dancing to an unheard beat.

He put his hand on the small of my back and pushed me closer to him; my hand instinctively went to his head, weaving into his hair. A strange feeling began to boil in the pit of my stomach, one I hadn't felt before. Edward finally broke the kiss, and I gasped for air.

"I'm the most intriguing, most potent creature on this planet."

"And I'm still not scared of you. Nothing you do or say could make me fear you at this point. I know you too well." And he kissed me again, wrapping his arm completely around my waist, and sitting the two of us down on the sofa. I moved my hand down from his hair, resting it on his own arm. I could feel his hands resting hesitantly on my waist.

I pulled myself up on my knees on the couch, taking control of the kiss, and wrapping my arms around Edward's neck. He turned himself, facing me better, and pulled me closer to him.

I folded back so that I was sitting with my legs tucked under me, Edward leaning over me slightly. His hand slowly dropped to my waist, hovering at the hem of my shirt. I knew he wanted to take it further, but I didn't think he had the confidence to, so I leaned into his hand, just a bit, just enough.

Goosebumps pricked on my skin when his hand found its way under my shirt, and I shivered slightly. I knew if I let it get to him, though, he'd stop, so I pushed through his cold touch. A sudden flame ignited in the pit of my stomach, and it began to spread throughout the rest of my body.

I pulled my legs from under me. That was a bad move. I fell back onto the sofa, and Edward came down on top of me, hard, knocking the wind out of me.

Edward was off of me in a heartbeat, and I was left on the couch, laying there awkwardly, my breathing heavy. I looked around, but Edward was gone. His window was now opened, and I could only assume he had gone out through it. I pulled myself together, and I headed downstairs, joining the rest of the Cullens in the middle of their movie.

When it was over, Emmet and Rosalie offered to drive me home, and I gladly accepted, not knowing where Edward had gone. No one asked any questions, for which I was immeasurably grateful.

I trudged into the house, the clock chiming away the hour. It was only seven, and yet here I was, walking home from what should have been a fun night at the very least. The house was empty, so I took my cell phone out to check if I had any missed calls.

I did, from my mother. In the voicemail she had left me, she informed me that she and Dad had decided to go out to a late dinner and movie, that they probably wouldn't be home until midnight. Carter was at a friend's and so was Leah. I literally had the house to myself, and I was hating it already.

I tossed my jacket in the hall closet. I set my hand on the handle to close, but ended up resting the side of my head on the door, letting out a deep, annoyed sigh. I shut the door, my hand lingering on the handle a second.

I went straight up to my room and changed into my pajamas, a very comfortable red tank top and old faded flannel pants. I flopped down on my bed, my hands resting on my stomach, and my legs hanging over the side of the bed. The only light in the house was coming from the moon shining through my window. That's when I heard it. The third step from the bottom of the stairs squeaked, a short, sharp noise.

I was not alone in the house.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

I sat up, slowly. I grabbed the nearest and heaviest thing I could, my hair dryer, and stood up, creeping my way to my bedroom door. I flipped open my cell phone, pushed 911, and held my thumb over the send button.

I walked, no slid, into the hallway, my slippers barely making any noise on the wooden floor. I couldn't see anything ahead of me.

I heard a distinct chuckle, and I turned in circle, trying to pinpoint where it had come from. I stood firm where I was, waiting.

Then I heard the chuckle again. I closed the phone, and let my arms fall to my side. I rolled my eyes and walked back into my bedroom; flipping the light on, I set my hair dryer on my dresser and my cell phone on my bedside table.

I hopped the bed, sat cross-legged, and crossed my arms over my chest, staring at the door. Edward walked in, laughing.

"You're funny when you're trying to be all inconspicuous and in control of the situation."

"Bite me, Edward. No, better yet, go away." I made no motion to hide my anger or distain.

"Ouch." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and then got up and walked over to him. I slapped him as hard as I possibly could. "_Ouch_!"

"Oh, you didn't even feel it!" I shoved passed him and headed for downstairs. I barely made it to the top of the landing when Edward caught up to me. He spun me around and kissed me, hard. I tried to push him away from me, but I wasn't strong enough. Not that I could have ever found the mental strength.

Edward picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me into my bedroom as our kisses became more frequent and fervent. I could barely breath by the time Edward set me down on the bed. I pulled his shirt over his head.

I ran my hands over the lines on his stomach, our lips not quite touching. I shivered slightly when Edward's hand reached for the bottom of my shirt, anticipating his next move. I lifted my arms just a bit as he pulled my shirt off, tossing it carelessly on the floor. Edward ran his hands up my stomach, and then followed with a trail of feather light kisses, passed my belly button and upwards.

He pulled his mouth back to mine, and I gasped into his mouth when his hand closed over my breast. His hand felt like ice through the lace, and I could feel my nipples perk at his touch. That feeling in my stomach began to spread throughout my body, as if my blood were boiling. Edward moved his lips down to my throat, nibbling and sucking at my neck. I laughed mentally at the irony of this small sign of affection.

Edward pulled me forward, and before I knew it, my bra had joined my shirt on the floor. Edward's mouth trailed down my neck, passed my collarbone. A sudden moan caught in my throat when Edward's cold lips kissed my breast, and I practically jumped off the bed when he took my nipple into his mouth. One of his hands came up to cup my other breast, and my own hand went up to his head, my fingers running through his hair.

Edward pulled his mouth back to mine, and I took the opportunity to push his forward, sitting myself up in an attempt to take control. As I kissed him, I fumbled with his pants, finally succeeding in unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He disappeared long enough to remove his pants, returning to peel my own flannel pajama pants off.

Edward kissed me, laying flat on top of me, our bodies flush with one another's. He pulled away slowly, staring into my eyes.

"There is one thing you should know about first," he said.

"You can't possibly tell me you have AIDS."

He laughed. "No. There is always the risk of pregnancy though."

"You don't have a condom?"

He laughed again. "Condoms don't exactly work for us. If we're going to do this, I want you to know what you're risking."

"I don't care." I pulled him back down, capturing his mouth with mine. I felt Edward's hand slide down my stomach, down to my underwear. I barely registered the noise of him literally ripping them off. Edward trailed more light kisses down my stomach.

I cried out his name when I felt his tongue flick over the most sensitive spot on my body. I could feel him smiling against me, reveling in my own pleasure. _Of course this gives his stupid ego a boost!_ I thought. His lips were cold, but it only made the sensation all that more enjoyable, cold jolts mixing with the heat from my own body.

He removed his mouth, and my breath caught in my throat, the sudden exposure making me cold, and not the kind I had come to like. Edward trailed his way back up, kissing me deeply, as he rustled with his boxers. I laid back, still reveling in the feeling his mouth had caused.

I closed my eyes, biting my lip, and clenching my bed sheets in my fists. I cried out, a long and slow release of air, as I felt Edward slide his hard throbbing cock into my body. I cried out again when he pulled out, and again when he thrust himself back in. My hips began to buck, meeting him thrust for thrust, over and over and over.

Only God could ever know how truly wonderful it felt when my body flew over the edge, that purely wonderful feeling of sweet ecstasy overcoming every sense of my body. Edward pulled out, his own body wickedly spent, and he laid back on the bed next to me, pulling me to him, our bodies flushed with each others. Neither of us moved, not wanting to spoil the long and overly-wonderful moment.

I had given everything of myself to Edward, everything that had meant anything to me. And I knew he had given himself to me. I fell asleep in Edward's arms, that thought hanging in my mind. I smiled in my sleep as I dreamt of Edward.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

I woke up the next morning to find the bed empty. I was back in my pajamas, and I began to wonder if it had all been a dream, a very wonderful dream. But when I got up and turned on the light, I found a note on my desk, from Edward. He had said he was needed at home, that Emmet and Jasper needed a last-minute hunt, and that he was going with them.

My parents were still asleep, so I decided on a shower, washing everywhere. I put my hair in a towel and changed into my jeans and a zip-up hoodie, and took my sheets off my bed to wash them; all evidence had to be gotten rid of.

The sudden realization hit me, and I fell to the floor. I was sixteen, and I could be pregnant with a vampire's baby. What was a vampire pregnancy like? Was it anything like a human pregnancy?

I walked into geometry class on Monday, and sat down next to Edward, thanking God at that moment that he couldn't read the horror stories running through my mind.

Edward and I went about our lives as usual, but neither of us talked about that night. I didn't want to think about the possibilities, and I have no idea why he hadn't said anything, but I was secretly grateful he didn't bring it up.

A week and half after our wonderful excursion, Edward and I wandered through the mall, searching the stores for Christmas presents. We had been there for four hours when I suddenly had to pee. Locating the nearest bathroom, I eagerly ran inside.

I literally let out a squeal when I realized my period had come. Relief washed over me like a wave. It was only a one-occupant bathroom, so I did a little happy dance when I was done peeing.

"I don't remember peeing ever making me that happy," Edward said, wrapping his arm around my waist as we meandered through the crowd.

"Obstacle averted," I said. When I saw he wanted more of an answer, I gave him one. "My…Aunt Flo just came to town."

"Aunt Flo? Is that your dad's sister?"

I laughed, nearly keeling over. "No! Aunt Flo is…well, let's just say you and I don't have to worry about me being pregnant!"

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but he was speechless. He started laughing, too, and we kept on walking, hitting a few more stores before leaving.

Christmas had come sooner than I thought, and I was excited at having a combination Christmas with my parents and sister and brother and the Cullens. I can honestly say that I don't remember being so excited about any Christmas in all of my sixteen years.

We decided on Christmas at our house, because it was actually larger than the Cullens' house. Everybody was there; Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmet, Jasper and Alice, and, of course, Edward.

My parents and us children had exchanged gifts with one another on Christmas Eve, so all that was under the tree were the presents for the Cullen family. All my father knew was that my mother had known Carlisle and Esme when she was younger, which wasn't technically a lie.

Christmas was a blast; the gift exchange went smoothly, and I loved my gift from Edward. He had given me a necklace, a simple white gold chain with a small heart-shaped emerald.

Dinner was…interesting. My mother had cooked enough to feed a small army, which I guess we could pass off as with the number of people in the house. The Cullens jumped right in to the routine, even going as far as to compliment the food my mother had made. I laughed in my mind at this, considering they couldn't really _taste_ the food. But I would keep up appearances for appearance's sake.

After dinner, my mother and father sat with Esme and Carlisle, catching up on old times. I took the opportunity to spend some alone time with Edward. We sat on my bed, our backs to the wall, talking.

"I most definitely am completely positive that I can read your sister or brother's minds," he said, taking my hand in his. "It took me awhile to figure this out, but I'm 100% positive that I can hear everything they say."

"So that makes me special then?"

"Even more special than you already were." I smiled to myself and leaned my head against his shoulder. We sat there for a couple of hours, simply enjoying each other's company. It was the first time we'd been alone in my room since that night. I smiled again, remembering everything that had happened.

I could only assume that as far as first times go, it was amazing; I didn't want to tempt fate again, but I couldn't wait to do it again.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The rest of the school year flew by quicker than I could have imagined, and before I knew it, Carter and Leah were graduating. Mom was crying as her babies walked across the platform, and Dad tried to hide his. Carlisle and Esme were there; Rosalie and Emmet and Jasper were graduating, for the umpteenth time. Alice, Edward, and I had the school to ourselves; we were officially at the top of the totem pole.

When we got home from the ceremony, there was a message from Grandpa Charlie on the answering machine. He wasn't doing so well on his own. He had apparently had a minor heart attack. Mom said that's what he gets for eating a steak once a week every week for over twenty-five years.

Mom couldn't leave her job, Carter was moving to Florida to stay with our grandparents and go to a university down there, and Leah was taking an internship in Paris for a photographer, so that left me. I was the 'lucky' one who was chosen to stay with Grandpa for the summer. I already dreaded the trip because, according to my dear mother, Forks' weather was even worse than Maine's.

I packed everything I had, and drug out my departure for as long as I possibly could. I spent extra time with Edward. On my last night there, Edward and I sat on his couch, my head resting on his shoulder.

"You want to jump in the hot tub?" he asked. My head perked up.

"You have a hot tub?" He nodded. "I've been coming over here all this time, and you've yet to mention that you have a _hot tub_?" I jumped off the couch, taking his hand in mine. "Where's it at?"

He lead me to the basement, and there, in the middle of the room, was a perfectly usable above-ground hot tub. I eyed Edward carefully.

"What am I supposed to wear?" I asked.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead."

I thought for a split second, and then tore my shirt off, followed by my jeans. Standing in my bra and panties, I climbed the steps and sunk into the bubbling water. Edward shrugged his shoulders, and followed suit, stripping down to his boxers.

He sank into the water beside me, and when I cuddled up to him, he wasn't as cold as he normally was; he was…room temperature now. An idea struck me.

I straddled him in the water, my hands on either side of his face. I kissed him deeply, passionately. I wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him, my back arching slightly. I felt his hand reach up and unsnap my bra, my boobs floating in the bubbling water. I smiled into his face.

"Is your family coming home anytime soon?" I asked.

"I told them I wanted the house to myself tonight."

"Good." I kissed him again, and I felt his hand reach up to cup my breast, pinching my nipple between his fingers. I let out a soft moan, my pleasure beginning to increase.

There was a certain fervency about Edward, an unquenchable thirst so-to-speak, and he needed me far more than I needed him at this point. He dipped his head down into the water, taking my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard at the tip. His hand reached down into the water, slipping inside the band of my panties. I cried out in immeasurable pleasure when he slid a finger inside and began wriggling it inside of my body.

I nearly collapsed when he added a second finger, and then a third. If it hadn't been for his other arm around my waist, I would have sunk deep beneath the water.

Edward removed his fingers only after my pleasure had peaked, and then began kissing me again. He turned me so that I was under him, pinned against the wall of the hot tub. I felt him pull my underwear down, slipping them off and tossing them on the floor. His boxers quickly joined them on the floor.

We were very awkwardly positioned in the hot tub, him above me, me in a sitting position, but by the grace of God, Edward thrust himself deep inside of me. I clutched his shoulders, biting into one of his shoulders. I heard him let out a deep hearty laugh. The motion of our bodies formed waves in the tub, water splashing out onto the floor.

Edward pushed hard into me, knocking the wind right out of me. Faster and faster, deeper and deeper. I kept thinking with each thrust that he would tear through my body. Our bodies climbed higher and higher to that peak of bliss, and then, suddenly, I was falling; falling from the ecstasy, and falling from the force that Edward had put behind his last thrust.

I landed on the floor, Edward falling down hard on top of me. Water rushed across the floor of the basement, out clothes floating across the small pond that had been created. I somehow managed to laugh, and Edward rolled off of me, laying beside me, laughing even harder. I raised my hand to my forehead and pushed my soaking wet hair out of my face. Edward reached over and took my hand in his, and he brought it over to his own face, kissing the back of my fingers.

Edward was with my mother and I as we wait for my plane to board. I sat next to him, our fingers entwined, my mother across from us. It was three in the morning, and I was tired from not sleeping that night. I didn't let my parents know, but I was sore, too.

An voice rang out overhead, announcing the boarding call for rows one through six of my flight. I was in row ten, so I could only assume that my row would be called next. I stood, pulling my carry on bag-my canvas bag-onto my shoulder.

"Don't mention Edward or the Cullens to Charlie. That would most definitely be a bad idea," Mom said, pulling me into a tight hug. I would miss her, and I would miss Dad, and I would probably miss the two of them more than I realized. "I'll go over there and give the two of you a couple of minutes."

"Thanks," I said. She wandered enough away, just out of earshot. "I'll call you when I land."

"If you need anything, I can be there within minutes. You just give the word." A tear rolled down my cheek, and I nodded. "And you'll call me, when you know either way?"

I wiped the tear from my face. "Yes. Most definitely. Although I'm sure I'll call you before then, too."

"I know, but that's the call I'll be waiting for the most eagerly."

I smiled, a half-smile, and laughed slightly. And then they announced that rows seven through twelve were boarding, so I hugged him closely. He kissed the top of my head.

"I love you, Grace," I heard him say. I choked on my own voice. Laughing, I pulled away from him and wiped more tears from my face.

"I love you, too, Edward." I took my ticket out of my pocket and walked over to the terminal. I took one last glance back at Edward and my mother. Mom had tears in her eyes, and Edward stood firm, his face saying everything I needed to know. I walked down the terminal. I stowed my carry on in the overhead compartment and took my seat.

I looked out the window, my mother and Edward standing in front of one of the huge bay windows looking out at the runway. I touched the glass lightly. My mind and my body were leaving for Forks, but my heart was staying with Edward. I suddenly felt completely empty.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The first few weeks of my summer 'vacation' flew by. I waited impatiently for my period to show, but it didn't. Not that first month, anyways. My period was known to skip itself every once in a great while, so I didn't let myself jump to conclusions right away.

Two weeks late, it came, and I did my happy dance again. I dialed the phone immediately, and I could hear the relief in Edward's voice.

Grandpa Charlie was a strange roommate. He had given me my mother's old room, faded quilt and horribly outdates computer and all; thankfully I had brought my own laptop with me.

Edward and I emailed back and forth almost hourly. Cell phones came in handy for late-night hours-long conversations.

Charlie's friends liked to come over on weekends, especially Billy and Jacob Black. Jacob had been friends with my mother when she was here; he had, in fact, helped her through her dilemma with Edward all those years ago.

He was nice enough, in that cool uncle sort of way. Billy and Charlie did nothing but watch ball games. At least Jacob would occasionally bring his teenage daughter with him. She was my age, and we had a lot in common. She looked a lot like her father.

As the end of summer drew closer and closer with each passing day, so did my seventeenth birthday. I hated not being to invite Edward out to enjoy it with me, but we made plans to celebrate when I returned, after I had the whole family birthday.

Grandpa Charlie bought me a book (that the clerk had suggested; at least it looked interesting) and a CD I had been dying to have. I had been hinting at the CD for a couple of weeks, making sure Charlie was within hearing distance when I talked about it, rather obviously, with Jacob's daughter.

My parents were waiting for me when I stepped out of the terminal. I walked slowly over to them, and they both pulled me into a hug. The drive home was quiet, so I used it to start reading the book Grandpa Charlie had given me.

It was the story of an elfin girl who fell in love with a mortal. Her parents forbade them to see each, sort of like a different spin on Romeo and Juliet. I liked the book well enough.

My parents had staged a surprise party for my return. Carter and Leah had both flown in, Grandma Renee and Grandpa Phil had flown in, and all of the Cullens were there. Thankfully Grandma was senile enough not to remember any of them, and Phil had never met any of them in the first place.

I was most excited to see Edward, as everyone there knew well enough. He scooped me up and spun me around, and I giggled like a child. He set me down and kissed me passionately, and a wave of aww's rang out through the crowd. I blushed bright red.

The party was fun enough, but I was glad when the house was empty save for my parents, my siblings, Edward, and myself. Edward and I sat on the couch, watching the movie either Rosalie or Alice had given me (I honestly couldn't remember which).

This had been goodbye for Rosalie, Emmet, and Jasper as the three of them were off for college yet again, this time to Columbia in New York. I would miss them.

Even Mom cried when they left. She had grown closer to them as well. In fact, I think it may have been harder for her to see them leave.

School started again. A new schedule, a new grade, new teachers, a new year. Edward and I had three classes this semester; I liked the idea of that.

Chemistry, which I absolutely hated, was first. Thankfully this was one of the classes I had with Edward, and he knew just about everything there was to know about it. Izzy was in my second class, which was art class, and we spent most of the first day catching up on our summers. Advanced creative writing was next-without Edward-followed by lunch-with Edward, of course. It was lonely with only Edward and Alice, so we invited Izzy and her gang over to our table, which I had began to refer to it as. Algebra II was after lunch, followed by government, both with Edward.

I was signed up for the driver's education class after school as well. I couldn't allow myself to be completely reliant on Edward to drive me everywhere, and now that Leah and Carter were gone, the Beast was mine. I figured I might as well get my license now that I had a vehicle to myself.

Edward was waiting for me when I got out of the driver's ed class. He was leaning against his car, which was one of the few cars left in the parking lot. He quickly opened the door for me, allowing me to slide in. He kissed the top of my head before shutting the door and climbing in the driver's seat.

"I'm going to take you somewhere today. Back to the lake." It wasn't a question.

"Okay, sure."

He drove slowly, at least slowly for him. We were at the lake in only a few minutes. It was only slightly cloudy today, the sun shining in several spots every now and then.

We walked hand-in-hand down to the shore and flopped down by the water. I took off my shoes and dipped my toes in the cool water. Edward took off his shirt, and I got a little giddy; apparently he saw the look on my face.

"Not now. I want to show you something."

"I've seen everything, Edward."

"Not this you haven't." And then he dove into the water. He broke the surface halfway across the lake. The only reason I even saw him way out there was because he had become this brightly shining speck on the surface of the water. I had to squint to focus on him properly. And then he began swimming back, the tiny diamond-like specks shining all over his body becoming more and more clear the closer he swam.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

I sat staring at Edward in amazement. I was a girl, so I was easily attracted to sparkly things, but this was way beyond anything I had ever seen before. It were as if tiny diamonds were imbedded in Edward's skin. He sat next to me, his knees pulled up, skipping stones across the surface of the water.

I leaned against him, my arm linked in his, my head resting on his shoulder. "I like this look on you, I have to admit."

"It gets old after awhile, you know."

"I don't think it could ever get old. No matter how many times I see you sparkle, it'll always amaze me."

"That's because you're human. You can't help but be amazed."

"That has nothing to do with it. Well, I mean, _technically_ it has something to do with it, but you know what I mean."

I let out a sigh and scooted closer to Edward, practically sitting on top of him. We sat there for God knows how long, and then Edward drove me home, kissing me gently goodnight.

Halloween came as usual, and the school was a riot. The senior class decided to go against the no-dressing-up rule, and every senior, Edward and I included, came to school in costume; the principal wasn't going to kick us all out.

I wore a rather flashy Little Red Riding Hood outfit, complete with a tiny red cape; I somehow talked Edward into dressing up as Granny. We were cute together, I had to admit right along with everyone else.

Izzy was the bride from Hell, and a group of the football jocks dressed up as cheerleaders, tight shirts, short skirts, and pom-poms included. Some of them even went as far as to shave their legs for the occasion. Izzy was throwing a party that night, which had conveniently fallen on a Friday night, and Edward and I were going.

Everyone from school was there, even people that didn't go to the school were there, as well as some of the alumni from the school.

As in all typical high school parties, alcohol was made readily available. I tried to stay away from it, but after about three cups, I had Edward upstairs in what I would later find out was Izzy's parent's bedroom.

I pushed Edward toward the bed, doing little to force him down on the bed. I unbuttoned his shirt, running my hands down his toned torso. I had lost my inhibitions tonight, and I didn't care. I took a couple of steps back, and he tried to follow, but I held up a finger, stopping him in his tracks. I wagged my finger at him, smiling slyly.

I untied the cord that held my cape on, letting it fall to the floor. Then I began to pull my shirt up over my head, dragging it out ever so slowly. I could see the pure torture Edward was in, and it boosted my ego that much more. A smile spread across his face when he saw the new bra I had purchased and was now wearing.

It was red and tiny, a demi-cup that barely covered any of my breasts. I moved to the zipper of my skirt, and it fell into a pile with my cape and shirt. I though Edward was going to attack me right then and there, but he held firm on the bed, gripping the mattress in his fists. The underwear I wore matched the bra, red and lacey and barely there.

I walked over to him slowly, and then climbed onto the bed, straddling his waist. I pushed him down on the bed, laying him back, allowing him only to remove his shirt. He reached up to cup my breast through the thin fabric of my bra, and I bit my lower lip. I could feel him hardening beneath me, pressing against his jeans, eager for me.

I unbuttoned his pants, unzipped them slowly. I pulled them excruciatingly slowly off of him, and then straddled him again. I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, pulling the straps down, and tossing it to the floor. Edward reached up to cup my breasts, but I stopped him. I felt his cock jerk underneath me when I cupped my own breasts, squeezing my own nipples between my fingers.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore, and he flipped us over, grinning wildly. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him as deeply as I could while still laughing. He used one hand to raise my leg and wrap it around his waist. His other hand reached down and pulled my underwear off, taking care not to rip these ones. I could feel him pushing against my body, the thin material of his boxers the only thing separating us.

I cried out loudly when I felt his fingers enter my body. Two fingers, wriggling and teasing and taking me over that wonderful edge of ecstasy. When the waves of my orgasm had subsided, he removed his fingers and tore his boxers off, slamming his hard cock into my aching body. He kissed me as he reached down to rub the spot where our bodies were joined. I moaned into his mouth, as he pulled out and pushed back in. Out, and then in. Out, and then in. Each wave taking us farther and farther out.

I finally came crashing back down to earth, Edward right behind me.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

I had tempted fate a third time, and by the grace of God yet again, I had managed to avoid pregnancy. When Thanksgiving rolled around, I added my own mental gratitude to the normal thanking my parents did.

As the snow began to let up, Izzy began dragging me to every store within an hour's drive looking for that perfect prom dress. I was honestly looking forward to prom. The dress, the hair, the nails, the SHOES. I had never been a girly-girl, but the thought of prom with Edward had turned me into a complete and total diva where prom was concerned.

Edward had bought the tickets, and it took me until almost the last minute to find that perfect formal gown. It was a beautiful cream color, that played off my skin tone wonderfully. I chose emerald green accessories, donning the necklace Edward had given me.

The theme was "Hollywood Glamour", and I had taken that theme and embraced it, my hair falling in dark brown loose curls. The hall where the prom was being held had been decorated to look just like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the walls being lined with gold stars, each one containing the name of a senior.

I was surprised that I didn't have to drag Edward onto the dance floor; on the contrary, he went quite willingly. He twirled me around like a pro, dipping me here, and spinning me there.

Taylor Swift's song _Love Story_ began to play, and I couldn't pass up the song. Edward pulled me close, the sides of our faces touching, and we danced in small circles, holding each other as closely as possible.

The song ended, and Edward kissed me lightly, pressing his lips to mine carefully.

That night, Edward and tempted fate one more time. It was better than any other time we had been together, filled with passion and love unmatched by any other two people.

I woke up in Edward's arms, happiness flooding every part of my soul.

The only thing to look forward to now was graduation. Our class somehow managed to have our graduation ceremony rained out, so it was moved indoors to the school's auditorium.

I was nervous looking at the platform. The valedictorian and salutatorian gave their speeches, and then the calling of names began. I watched as Alice, and then Edward, walked across the platform, shook the hand of the principal, moved the tassel of their cap to the opposite side, and received their diplomas. I was much farther down the line.

When my row was up, I breathed slow and deep, focusing on not tripping on the steps. My stomach flipped when I heard my name called, and I began to ascend the stairs. I kept thinking in my head, _Don't trip, don't trip_. And, somehow, I didn't trip. I walked across the platform, shook the principal's hand, moved my tassel, and took my diploma. I heard several voices call out in the crowd, and I looked up to see the entire gang: Mom and Dad, Carter and Leah. Grandma Renee and Grandpa Phil, and Grandpa Charlie. Carlisle and Esme, Emmet and Rosalie, and Jasper. Everyone had shown up to see Edward, Alice, and myself.

I descended the second set of stairs slowly, letting out a sigh of relief when I realized I hadn't fallen, and then jumped for joy when Edward ran over to me, pulling me into a hug and spinning around with me. I suddenly felt nauseous; clamping my hand over my mouth, I ran for the nearest trash can. Man, I hated nerves. They really sucked at times like these.

Edward came over and rubbed my back then kissed my cheek. I knew my breath had to smell horrible now, so it didn't bother me in the least.

Two days later, my mother and father and I were discussing my options. Florida State, Washington State, or somewhere closer to Maine, such as Columbia in New York with Carter.

None of those places seemed at all interesting to me. If I was going to attend a university at all, it would something worth while, like Harvard or Yale or even Princeton. Maybe Columbia, if none of my first choices accepted me, but I had no worries with the grades I had graduated with.

It took me three weeks to fill out all of the applications, and it had been seven weeks since prom. Doing the math in my head, I was floored. I called the only person I could think of who new the least about anything and was close enough, and willing enough, to help; I called Izzy.

She bought the pregnancy test for me; I was far too ashamed to do it myself, and brought it to me in the bathroom. All Izzy new was that I might be pregnant and that Edward was the only potential father, but she knew nothing else that may put the Cullens in danger.

I peed on the stick as quickly as possible, hoping with all hope that it would come back negative. But it didn't. A small pink cross stared back at me fifteen minutes later, and my heart sank deep into my chest.

I didn't want to tell Edward, not just yet. I needed to talk to my mother first. I drove home immediately and waited anxiously at the table for her to come home from work.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

I sat at the kitchen table, biting my thumb nails, waiting for my mother to come home. My legs bounced uncontrollably up and down as I grew more and more anxious with each and every passing minute. I could hear the _tick tock, tick tock_ of the clock hanging on the wall.

My head jerked up when I heard the door open, but it was only my father. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out an energy drink.

"I've got a lot of work from the office again, Grace. Please make sure no one bother me." I nodded, my legs beginning to hop faster. It was another fifteen minutes before my mother finally came home, her briefcase and a bag of groceries in hand.

I jumped up from my seat at the table and ran over to her. Throwing my arms around her waist, I began to sob, confessing everything to her. I thought my mother was going to flip out, but instead she let her briefcase and the bag of groceries fall to the floor. She wrapped one arm around my shoulders and the rested the other on to back of my head, trying to sooth me.

We stood there for several minutes until my tears finally subsided. Mom ushered me into the living room, and we sat on the couch, facing each other; she took my hands in her own.

"Does Edward know?" she asked. All I could do was shake my at her, swiping away another tear that had broken through. "We should talk to Carlisle; he'd be most likely to know what to expect from this. Give me some time to get my head around this, and I suggest that you get some rest as well."

I was restless that night. I had fallen asleep quickly, but my mind had been racked with horrible nightmares. I saw myself dying, I saw myself being killed by my own baby. I woke up several times in a cold sweat.

The next morning, I woke up with nausea in full effect. I stared at myself in the mirror, a horribly pale version of myself staring back at me. I brushed my teeth thoroughly to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth.

The smell of eggs and sausage and toast attacked my senses as I made my way downstairs. My mother was pouring me a cup of orange juice as I slid into a chair at the table.

"Eat," she said, so I picked up the fork. "You need to start keeping track of what you eat." I just kept eating, my eyes on my plate. "I called Carlisle. I didn't say why, but I told him it was urgent, and he's on his way over."

"Good thing we know a doctor who makes weekend house calls." I finished eating then went upstairs to change my clothes. I no longer fit into my favorite jeans, so I opted for sweatpants instead. Curious, I stepped on the scale in the bathroom. I had been 120 pounds exact on prom, but the scale now read 134 pounds. I tossed my head back in annoyance, and then went back downstairs to wait for Dr. Cullen.

Carlisle could only confirm what I already knew. He knew no more what to expect than Mother and I did. The only concern he had was with my diet. Knowing that this child was half vampire, Carlisle suggested that I take to drinking some form of animal blood. He made arrangements to have blood brought to the house.

I gagged at the thought, never having drank blood before. That first sip of cow's blood made me throw up again. It was thick, and it had a metallic taste to it. The second sip was easier to get down, and as I finished that first glass, I felt a sudden rush of physical well-being return to me.

I begged Carlisle not to say anything to Edward, not to even think about it around him. Alice had come with Carlisle, and together they devised a plan to get Edward out of the house for a few days.

I awoke the next morning to find that I had gained another ten pounds over night. My mother called Carlisle and Alice back over.

"The only thing I can think of," Carlisle began, "is that this pregnancy is not going to be a normal pregnancy. You're growing at an incredibly fast rate. If I did the math right…"

"The end of summer," Alice said. "It'll be the end of summer."

I took a deep breath and nodded, placing a hand on my growing belly. On their way out the door, Alice turned to me and said, "Edward won't be back until Tuesday. In case you were wondering."

That night, Sunday night, was another restless night fraught with more nightmares. I woke on Monday to find I had expanded just a little more. I grabbed my old housecoat out of my closet and tied it around myself. Mother was downstairs, preparing for work.

"If you need anything, call Carlisle or Esme immediately, and then call me."

"Mom…" My voice trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Never mind. It can wait until tonight." And then she was off, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

It was eerie sitting in the house alone. I tried to distract myself with reading and watching TV, even doing a few loads of laundry. By the time lunch rolled around, I was bored out of my mind, so I hopped into the truck and drove into town.

I picked up a sandwich from the sub shop and took it to the park. Sitting on the bench, I watched the world around me. People walking down the sidewalk, cars rushing by, kids playing on the jungle gym. I began to think about the rest of my life, where it would lead me now, where it could have gone…

I walked slowly back to the Beast, still in all of its faded glory. I started crying as completely selfish thoughts began filling my head. I went straight inside the house and drank almost half a gallon of the cow's blood, which, oddly enough, didn't taste so bad anymore. Throwing the jug in the garbage, I went upstairs to pass out on my bed. This pregnancy was really taking a toll on me, but I did manage to get a full, dreamless, full nights' rest.

I woke earlier than usual, even before my mother had woken up. I showered and dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast. I was just putting my dirty dishes in the sink when my mother joined in the kitchen.

"You were already asleep when I got home, but you had something you wanted to talk about yesterday," she said, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. I joined her, still standing, trying to formulate a plan of action. I took a deep breath, and began to talk.

"I don't think I can do this, Mom. I'm only seventeen; I barely have my high school diploma! I have no idea how to take care of a baby!" I flopped in the chair across from her. "How am I supposed to take of this baby anyhow?"

My mom laughed. "Nobody ever really knows how to take care of their first child, Grace. And nobody is ever going to be able to tell you how to take care of _your_ baby. You're in uncharted water. As for being so young, Grace, I'm not going to get started on that one. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it, or else figure out a way not to have to lie in it."

"And if I choose not to lie in it?"

"Then you know what you have to do. If you're not home when I return from work later, I'll assume you've made your decision, Grace." She stood, her coffee cup in hand. "I'm not going to make this choice for you."

Three hours later, I sat in the waiting room of a very reputable clinic. There was only one other girl there, and she looked barley thirteen years old. I assumed it was her boyfriend sitting with her. The poor girl looked terrified to be here.

A little nagging voice filled my head, telling me not to go through with my decision. _Don't do it_, the voice said. _Go, leave. Go back home where you belong._ A nurse stuck her head out of the door and called my name. I picked up my bag and followed her. That's when I felt a tiny nudge against the inside of my stomach. And again, I heard the voice. _Go home. You shouldn't be here; you should not be doing this._

I shook my head and kept going. I felt another nudge, a harder nudge this time. And again the voice rang out in my head. _Do not go through with this._ And then it hit me. It was not my own voice that I was hearing in my head. It was my baby's voice. He or she was projecting its own thoughts into my mind, trying to tell me what it wanted.

I backed up against a wall and began to cry, slumping to the floor. The nurse ran over to me, asking over and over again if I was okay. I managed a smile through the tears.

"Yes," I sobbed. "I'm fine! I just realized…I can't go through with this!"

"That's alright, dear. Let me help you up, and then you can leave."

I stood, with her help, and rubbed the spot where I had felt the nudges. "I'm sorry, little one. You're safe now." I felt a swoosh in my belly, as if the baby had waved in the fluid, and I laughed at how it tickled.

I eyed the girl and her boyfriend when I went back through the waiting room. I felt horrible for the child inside of her, knowing now how difficult the end decision is to make. She looked up at me, like a helpless child herself. I couldn't even muster up a fake smile for her, and I shoved through the doors as fast as I could.

I climbed back into the Beast, rubbing my belly again. It was hard for me to believe that only a few minutes ago, I had been prepared to make the hardest decision of my life. I drove slowly, stopping by the sub shop again for something to eat. It grew darker outside as I sat in the shop, eating my turkey sub. And then I realized my mother was still under the impression about the decision I had made.

I pulled out my cell phone and hit her number on speed dial. Three rings, and then her voicemail. I finished eating quickly, and climbed back in the Beast and drove home, faster than I probably should have. I immediately recognized the silver Volvo sitting in the driveway. I took a deep breath and went inside.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

I walked through the door, and my mother and Edward were sitting together at the table. Edward stared at me; the look of agony and pain on his face nearly floored me, and I could only assume that my mother had told him the wrong news.

"Edward…" My voice trailed off. I couldn't think of what to say to him. He stood up and walked over to me. I opened my mouth and tried to say something, but nothing came out. And then Edward was gone, flashing out through the open door behind me. I turned and hung my head through the door, screaming after him. But he was gone, and I had no idea where he had gone to. I turned back to my mother.

"What did you tell him?" I asked, yelling at the top of my lungs.

"I told him where you'd gone," she answered.

"Why did you do that?! I couldn't go through with it! I didn't do it, Mom!"

My mother's face fell, and I could see that she had realized the severity of what she had done. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Carlisle's number.

"Are you alright? Is everything fine with the baby?"

"Everything is fine. My mom told Edward about the baby, but she also told him that I had gone to have an abortion. She didn't realize that I hadn't, but Edward's gone. He vanished. I have no idea where he's gone."

"He's not here. If he shows up, I'll tell him to go see you immediately and to not jump to any conclusions."

"Thank you, Carlisle." I closed the phone, and put my hand on my head, resting the other on my waist.

"Why don't you go get some rest, Gracie. I'll come get you if Edward shows up." I opened my mouth to protest, but she wouldn't let me, so I trudged up the stairs. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Edward didn't show up the next day, at my house or his own. I began to worry about him after the first week.

I was growing bigger every day. The pregnancy began going smoother though, now that I was able to talk to the baby. My mother and father surprised me with a nursery, decorated in browns and greens, a neutral setting for either girl or boy. I sat in the wooden rocking chair, reading out of Aesop's Fables. The baby really seemed to like hearing my voice, so I read as often as I could.

By the middle of July, I had gone through my own personal library, and I had begun working my way through the library in town.

I had just finished reading the fable about the lion and the mouse, when I heard tiny laughter in my head.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that one, Little One." I had started referring to the baby as Little One because I didn't want to know what it was yet.

_We both enjoyed it, Mother._ It was strange hearing someone call me 'Mother'.

"Yes, I enjoyed it, too."

_Then that makes three of us_. I was confused at this statement.

"Three of us?"

_You, me, and the other one in here._

"There are two of you in there?"

_Yes. Did I forget to mention that?_

"Yes, you did. That's information I should have known a long time ago."

_I'm sorry._

"It's alright. I'll have to let everyone else know now though." I heard a the baby yawn. "You're tired; you should sleep. One thing before you do. Can the other one communicate with me like you can?"

_No. Just me. But I can relay messages to you. One thing to note: we like the subs you eat._ I laughed.

"I'll be sure to add more turkey subs to my diet. Goodnight, Little Ones."

Mom and Dad were excited about the twins. They went right out and bought a crib identical to the one already in the nursery. Dad rearranged the furniture so that both cribs fit side by side.

My emotions were acting up, and I cried at the sight of the nursery. Mother hugged me, and Dad patted my back until I stopped.

"It's wonderful. Thank you guys, so much!"

The Cullens joined us for the double baby shower the first Saturday in August. I told Alice not to by specific colors, for I knew she knew what they were, that she had to have seen them already, and she grudgingly obliged, sticking to neutrals like everyone else.

Yellow and green balloons floated around the Cullens' house, along with streamers and 'Congratulations!' banners. I was bigger than I could have ever imagined at this point, and the twins were running out of room. They tried to stay cramped, but every once in awhile I would feel them stretching, pressing against my ribs and spine; they pushed lightly, afraid of breaking me.

It made me cry, their consideration for me. Everyone I needed had come for the shower. All the grandparents, Carter and Leah, and all of the Cullens, save one in particular. I almost expected Edward to show up, but my heart sank a little bit every time I looked at the door, so I simply stopped hoping.

I had no idea how I would get all of the gifts home, or if the twins would even have enough time to wear all of the clothes everyone had bought them. Toys hung out of bags, blankets with room to stitch their names in, clothes, diapers, and formula (from the grandparents, of course).

We had decided to tell Dad the truth about the Cullens, but not about Mom and Edward. He took the truth surprisingly well, all things considered.

We had just finished picking up when I fell onto the couch. The grandparents had gone back to their hotels, and Carter and Leah had gone back to the house. The guys had loaded most of the presents into the back of several vehicles, and Esme and Mom and Rosalie and Alice were fawning over the belly. One of the babies, the mind reader, nudged just above my belly button.

_We're too cramped. We want to come out now. Can't we come out?_

"Um, Carlisle?" He bolted into the room.

"Yeah, Grace?"

"Uh, they sort of want out now…"

"Oh. Well, we've never been in this situation before. How are they-"

_We're supposed to chew our way out, but that would hurt you, and we don't want to hurt you, Mother._

"They're supposed to eat their way out, according to the mind reader."

"Why don't we take you to the hospital, and I'll do the best cesarean I can."

"Did you hear that?" I asked, rubbing the belly. "Hang in there a little bit longer, and you'll be out before you know it."

I looked around and saw the faces of everyone staring back at me. It was now that I truly began to fear for my life.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Twenty minutes later, Dr. Cullen had me in a hospital bed and gown, strapped up to three different machines that monitored this and that. The epidural I had opted for did little to alleviate the pain, but I did my best. As soon as the operating room opened up, Carlisle was wheeling me in, Mother right by my side, holding my hand.

The drugs did numb my stomach enough so that I didn't feel any of the scalpel cutting. Within seconds of one another, both babies were out, and Mom and I were both crying.

Each baby had a set of lungs, which they used quite well I might add. One boy, one girl. Both healthier than I could have asked for.

An hour later, I sat on the bed in my own hospital room, both babies laying in front of me on the bed. Nathan was the spitting image of his father, the reddish hair, his nose and eyes. And Sadie looked so much like myself, a head full of the dark brown hair that had ran in my family for generations.

One by one, every member of my family filed into the room, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the babies. Nathaniel and Sadie sucked up every bit of attention, too. Sadie, older by one short half-minute, was my little mind reader, and she and I carried on conversation in my head. If I hadn't known it was her, I'd have checked myself into an institution.

Alice eventually made her way into the room, brining with her one blue balloon and one pink balloon. "It was so hard not to say anything. I fought the urge not to pick up every pink and blue outfit in the stores. I lost by the way. Their pink and blue wardrobes are waiting in their nursery at your house."

I laughed at her. "Thank you, Alice." I bit my lower lip. "Have you seen him yet?"

She picked Sadie up, and cradled her in her arms. Nathaniel turned his head so he could see her better.

"Not yet. But I'll let you know when I do."

"Thanks." She played with Nathaniel and Sadie a bit longer, and then joined everyone else at home.

I was released two days later. I was sore, I had to admit, but the pain I felt from the surgery was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my heart. I felt as though there was an enormous hole where my heart should have been, and I realized there was, and that there always would be. Edward had my heart with him, and I didn't know if I would ever get it back.

It took two weeks for my stitches to heal, two weeks before I Carlisle would take me off bed rest. I played with the twins on the floor in the living room. At this point, they were beginning to crawl, which meant they were grabbing everything they could their hands on, mistaking it for food.

They were on a strict animal's only diet, which they adhered to obediently. I didn't worry leaving the two of them alone in a room by themselves though; I had my little mind reader to tell me if something was wrong, no matter where I was in the house.

Nathaniel was special as well. He liked to use his mind to move things on us, hiding the car keys or our cell phones, giggling hysterically as we searched high and low for whatever he had taken.

I was upstairs tucking them into bed one afternoon for their naps when I heard the door open and close. I looked at the clock in the hallway, and thought to myself that it was too early for either of my parents to be home.

I stood at the top of the stairs, staring at Edward, who had apparently chosen this moment to return. I folded my arms, angry at him for leaving. I had purposely shut the twins' door so that he couldn't hear them dreaming.

"Nice of you to show up. You can leave though. It seems you're good at that." I turned for my bedroom, but Edward raced up the stairs and grabbed hold of my arm. I wheeled around and glared at him, nearly burning a hole in him. "Let go."

"No. Not until you and I talk."

"I don't want to talk to you. I have nothing at all to say to you."

"Really? Nothing comes to mind you think I should be informed about? Not anything at all?"

"Let me think…" I put my hand on my chin, tapping my face with my finger. "Nope."

"There's no one you think you need to tell me about?"

"Nobody that concerns you, no. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to take care of."

"No, you are not excused. Tell me the truth, Grace."

"You didn't want to hear the truth. You left, remember?"

"I didn't know."

"You didn't even give me the opportunity to explain."

"Your mother had told me that you had killed them. What was I supposed to think? You hadn't even told me you were pregnant."

"I planned on telling you, when I got home that afternoon. But you left before I could. And then you never came back. So I moved on."

"No you didn't." He kissed me then, deeply, passionately, and every good and wonderful feeling I had ever had came rushing back at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me closer. But then I remembered that I was mad at him, and I pulled away.

"See. You haven't moved on. You still love me and you know it."

"I didn't say that I didn't love you. But it's too hard thinking you'll leave again. You did it to my mother, and you did it to me. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I'll have to say it. I'm may not be human anymore, but I still make mistakes."

I sighed. "You're lucky I'm the forgiving type. But I don't think I could handle that again. I swear to God if you so much as think of leaving again, I'll kill you myself."

He threw his hands up in defense. "I'll let you." He pulled me into another hug. "I'm sorry. I'll say it every day for the rest of eternity."

"Eternity, huh? So do we have all of eternity?"

"If you want eternity, we'll have eternity."

"I think before we decide on eternity that I should first introduce you to your children." I took his hand in mine and lead him into the nursery. They were still sound asleep in their cribs, their tiny stomachs rising and falling as they breathed. That was the first thing Edward noticed.

"Yes, they breath. They're half human, so they do have some human tendencies. They breath, they eat human food, and they sleep."

"I can hear him. He's dreaming of chasing a rabbit." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course he is. He loves the rabbits that wander outside. He's tried to climb through the window a couple of times already."

Edward looked up at the wooden letters spelling out their names hanging over their cribs.

"Nathaniel and Sadie? I like those names."

"Alice said you would."

"So you did think of me?"

"I couldn't help not thinking of you. I thought of you every time I looked at them."

He pulled me close to him, my back flush with his front, and he kissed the top of my head. "I really, truly am sorry. I promise here and now that I will never leave you again as long as you and I exist together on this planet…or any other planet."

"Can you hear what's she's thinking?"

"I can't. It must run in your family."

"She can project her thoughts into your mind. I'm sure she'll have a lot to tell you when she wakes up."

"She can?"

"Mmhmm. And Nathaniel can move things with his mind. It's amazing to watch actually."

They stirred just a bit in their cribs, and I readjusted their blankets, and then we left them to their dreams. We walked hand in hand downstairs, sinking into the couch at the same time. Edward pulled me close, and we sat there, cuddling with each other until Sadie bellowed for me, letting me know they were awake.

Edward and I walked back upstairs, and I introduced the three of them properly.


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

By Christmas, Nathaniel and Sadie were running all over the house. They looked like your average two-year-olds, and it was difficult explaining it to the grandparents. We finally let Leah and Carter in on our little secret.

This holiday was the most fun. Edward and I held Christmas at our home. It was still strange to say that. _Our home_. I love the sound of it though!

Alice had easily become the favorite aunt, spoiling Nathaniel and Sadie worse than any other children, ever. Nathaniel liked rough-housing with Edward and Emmet, and Sadie was content to just sit with Jasper and listen to his stories of the war.

Leah agreed to keep Sadie and Nathaniel the following summer; that's the soonest Edward would agree to my…transformation. We would head north, to Alaska most likely, and we would stay with friends of the Cullens' up there who were far from other humans.

I sighed and cuddled closer to Edward on the couch in front of the fireplace, Nathaniel and Sadie enjoying the company of their enormous, close-knit family. My life would never be better than at this very moment, I concluded. And when summer finally did come, I would do everything in my power to stave off my thirst for human blood as quickly as possible, for my children's sakes.

I closed my eyes, imagining the rest of eternity with Edward, and-Oh!- what a beautiful sight it was.


End file.
